


The Lost Soul

by harmony88



Series: Forever With You [3]
Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Action, Action/Adventure, Adult Content, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Bad Wolf Rose Tyler, F/M, Post-Episode AU: s02e13 Doomsday, Romance, Sexual Content, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-29
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:00:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 35,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27784876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/harmony88/pseuds/harmony88
Summary: COMPLETE.Post Doomsday AU: The Doctor decides to take a risk and take Rose to the most romantic planet in the universe - Atlantis. But when they arrive, they learn not everything is as it seems, and it's up to them to stop the darkness from coming. Through aiding Aphrodite, the Doctor and Rose embark on their own quest to help the planet, and help their own hearts.Doctor Who with a loose Greek Mythology twist - it's a love story.“What?” he asked, his tongue swabbing his mouth for stray cake. She shook her head and smiled.“You’re friends with the Gods,” she said in disbelief. Not that she couldn’t believe it, she absolutely could, but it was not a thought that ever crossed her mind before. He grinned.“Well, our paths may have crossed in the past. May have given Jason a hand with the Argonauts at one point. And Odysseus with the Cyclops. Oh, and of course I helped in the Trojan War a bit, can’t forget that one. Poseidon maaaaay have knighted me for my heroics. A Day in the Life of a Time Lord,” he said teasingly, stealing another bite of cake.
Relationships: Tenth Doctor/Rose Tyler
Series: Forever With You [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2030980
Comments: 26
Kudos: 161





	1. Atlantis

**Author's Note:**

> If you haven't read the story "Undercover", this story is the adventure Rose/Doctor go on immediately following that story. It ended with some unresolved romantic tension so this story is adding to that. There are small references to that story, but trying to make it as stand-alone as possible. Thank you for reading!

There was nothing Rose loved more than exploring new places. 

She thought about this as her hand gripped the Doctor's the following morning. There was an ease in his touch she recognized, and she knew he was feeling a little better after everything they went through the night before. She grinned at him, eager to see what new world awaited her. They approached the TARDIS door, and he watched her carefully as they stepped out into a brand new planet. 

Atlantis. 

Her eyes widened at the thousand foot tall white pillars, swirls of turquoise and violet running down the side facing them. The air was crisp and smelled of sea salt, and the sky was a pure blue. There was a vast expanse of crystal clear water on all sides of them, and the Doctor squeezed Rose’s hand. 

“It’s said to be the most romantic place in the universe,” he whispered slowly. His hearts were throbbing in his chest, and she felt her breath catch. 

“Is this a… date?” she asked. She couldn't stop the grin that emerged on her face. He cocked his head to the side, raising his eyebrow as he looked up at the blue sky. 

“Weeeell, I mean… I s’pose, if you want to call it that, it could be considered - by most species that is - humans, especially, that this could -” 

She smiled brightly at him. 

“It’s lovely,” she said. He smiled back.

“Wanna see more?” he asked. She nodded enthusiastically and he grinned. “Perfect! Brilliant, Rose Tyler. Allons-y!” 

:::: 

The “Lost City of Atlantis” Rose had heard about growing up on Earth were remnants of a ship that had crashed from this planet. It was a populous location, with over 4 million residents living happily amongst the sea salt air and vast waters. The Doctor was telling her all of this as they walked, gazing at the architecture and people that passed by. 

The local species, the Roix, were some of the Doctor’s favorites in the universe. They were kind and beyond intelligent, who had advanced technologies and healing powers. 

Among others. 

She was holding his arm. He was pointing all around and engaging her with facts and stories. 

“Do my eyes deceive me, or did I see a blue box arrive this morning?” a powerful voice echoed. The Doctor whipped around, joyous. 

“Poseidon!” he exclaimed, walking with Rose up to the man. If you could call him that. He towered above them with an ethereal light radiating off of his skin. It was gold, with thin white and turquoise lines that reminded Rose of the pillars trailing along the sides of his cheeks. His ocean blue eyes were inviting as he scooped the Doctor up in a hug, lifting him off the ground with his legs dangling. It made Rose giggle, and Poseidon bellowed in laughter as well. 

“You changed your face again,” he said, returning the Doctor to the ground. “You look wonderful.” 

“Thank you, you look regal as ever,” he said, grinning. “May I introduce you to my, er…” he turned, his eyes locking with Rose. 

“I’m Rose,” she offered, saving him from embarrassing himself over what to call her. 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Rose,” Poseidon bellowed, smiling. “I have known the Doctor for 600 years and have never met anyone who traveled with him before. You must be quite special.” 

Rose blushed, the Doctor’s eyes were burning into her skin and she suddenly felt quite warm. 

“She is,” the Doctor said, looking back up at Poseidon and smiling. “We were just exploring, I wanted to show her a bit of my favorite vacation spot in the stars.” 

“Vacation spot?! Ha! You always did have unique views on things. Come, come! The others will be so happy to see you!” he said, ushering them along as they made their way to the main part of the city. 

She had a lot of questions, and she didn’t know where to begin. The Doctor slipped his hand in hers again as they followed Poseidon and she looked at him in awe. 

“Wait, so Poseidon. He’s _real?_ Like God of the Sea and all that?” Rose whispered. The Doctor grinned. 

“Of course! Mythology is always based in truth. This planet looks to Greece on Earth as its second home. They were known to do some space travel of their own back in the day and visit. Poseidon, Hera, Zeus, Hades - also known as Neptune, Juno, Jupiter, Pluto, or so many other names, they’re all very real. But they aren’t Gods. They’re Riox.” 

Rose shook her head at him, once again reminded of how small she was in comparison to the universe. A mere speck. A particle of dust. 

The city reminded her of places on earth. There were markets, people hustling and bustling around. It was a mix of creatures, but none of them were as tall or as gold as Poseidon. She realized the Riox must be a fairly small portion of the population, and marveled at the diversity and kindness she was surrounded with. 

They approached a new slew of pillars surrounding a very large and very tall staircase. Rose thought you could fit the entire population of London on these steps, and it took them quite a while to reach the top. Turquoise and purple tapestries began to line the walls as they grew closer to the end, Poseidon still leading and humming quietly to himself in content. 

“Please, come in,” he said, gesturing to ornate gold doors. Rose looked at the Doctor who gave her a reassuring look, and they made their way through into a massive ballroom. 

The floor was marble, the walls were stone. The same lines of turquoise and purple filtered around them, and on a platform ahead rested brilliant thrones, each with a new figure sitting patiently in them. 

Rose could tell they were all Riox like Poseidon, with similar gold skin and varying colored lines on their cheeks. 

“Doctor!” one of the new members shouted, and applause began to thunder in the room. Rose gave him a smirk, trying not to shake her head and laugh at him as he stood awkwardly amidst the praise. 

“It’s been too long!” another said, a female voice. 

“ Doctor, and Rose, allow me to present my Council. My brother Zeus and his wife, Hera. My cousin Demeter, we have Apollo, Artemis, Hephaestus, Ares, and of course, Aphrodite.” 

He kissed the last Riox woman he introduced on her hand, and Rose did something she immediately regretted. 

She curtseyed. 

In jeans. 

The Doctor tried to conceal a laugh, but Rose merely nudged him with her elbow and laughed alongside him. 

It was all surreal. The Riox all stood and greeted them both, Rose feeling quite tiny amongst the group. 

They were all ecstatic to see the Doctor again, pulling him aside to show him their latest creations in the water, and sky and with their music. He held Rose’s hand, checking in every few minutes to make sure she was still doing okay, and she was simply enamored. 

“I say we celebrate our guests before we let them enjoy their time here. How about a feast?” Poseidon bellowed, and the entire hall erupted in applause. The Doctor looked at Rose. 

“Is that okay?” he asked her. Her eyes were gleaming. 

“Are you kidding? I’m dying to know what kind of food the Gods eat,” she replied, winking at him. 

The Doctor had mentioned that the Riox had powers, gifts the universe bestowed on them, and within minutes the hall and outdoor veranda had transformed into a party. There were cushions, tables decorated with grapes and wine, meats and cheeses and pastries all stacked on trays as the group settled in various conversations. Music played with lutes and harps on their own, a bit of festive fun from Apollo. 

Rose and the Doctor sat next to each other, sharing a piece of cake as they watched the festivities unfold. She couldn’t stop looking at him in amazement, and after a few minutes he set his fork down and gave her a playful look. 

“What?” he asked, his tongue swabbing his mouth for stray cake. She shook her head and smiled. 

“You’re friends with the Gods,” she said in disbelief. Not that she couldn’t believe it, she absolutely could, but it was not a thought that ever crossed her mind before. He grinned. 

“Well, our paths may have crossed in the past. May have given Jason a hand with the Argonauts at one point. And Odysseus with the Cyclops. Oh, and of course I helped in the Trojan War a bit, can’t forget that one. Poseidon maaaaay have knighted me for my heroics. A Day in the Life of a Time Lord,” he said teasingly, stealing another bite of cake. 

“Are you kidding?” Rose asked, her tongue in cheek smile creeping in. He felt his eyes drop to her mouth for a moment, savoring the smile, before he continued to eat. 

“One thing that’s weird, though, is Hades. He’s not here,” the Doctor said, his eyes searching the room. Rose took another bite of cake. 

“Well, yeah, doesn’t he live in the Underworld? Isn’t he like… evil or whatever?” she asked. The Doctor shot her a look. 

“He’s Poseidon’s brother. Don’t let him hear you,” he said, winking. “But no. Mythology twisted the story to make Hades a bad guy, but really he just works a 9-5. He’s usually here.” 

Rose shrugged, finishing the cake and leaning her head on the Doctor’s shoulder. He felt a swarm of butterflies fill his stomach and he leaned his head softly on top. 

It felt right. It felt calm. 

Rose saw Aphrodite watching them from the corner of her eye. 

The music began to grow louder and Apollo jumped in joy, ushering for the group to grab hands and dance. The Doctor and Rose watched with wide smiles as all the Riox held hands, sparks of light swirling in the air like small fireworks as they hopped and do-see-doed around. They collapsed in a fit of laughter and applause when the lute was done, clapping each other in hugs. 

“It’s like a dream,” Rose said airily. The Doctor’s eyes looked at her, smiling. 

“Yeah,” he whispered. 

They felt it again, one of those fleeting moments of passion. It was gripping them both, and as the Riox moved to another song and ate more food, the Doctor fought every urge he had to kiss her. He was about to give in when they realized Aphrodite was standing above them. 

“May I see you both privately?” she asked. She began to move with ease into a small room to the left of the veranda, and the Doctor grabbed Rose’s hand, following. 

“Is everything okay?” he asked as they entered the room. Aphrodite merely smiled and waved her hand gently, the door closing behind them. 

Candles were lit on the walls and there were three soft green cushions on the floor. She gestured for them to sit, and they did, watching her carefully as she poured them each a glass of wine. 

“I can’t tell you how grateful I am to see you, Doctor. And to meet you, dearest Rose,” she said. Her voice was like honey, warm and silky and inviting. Rose smiled at her, and Aphrodite sat across from them and sighed. “I hope this isn’t too forward. But I need your help.” 

The Doctor took the chalice with the wine and took a sip. Rose gripped hers, anxiously waiting what Aphrodite had to say. 

“Your heart?” the Doctor asked knowingly. Aphrodite smiled. 

“Indeed,” she said. “I’m sure you have noticed, Doctor, that Hades is not present at our celebration tonight.” 

Rose watched the Doctor take another sip of wine, and she decided to try it as well. It was sweet, almost like cranberry juice, but quite strong. Her head was dizzy after one sip. 

“I did, actually,” he said. Aphrodite nodded. 

“Always so intuitive. I’ve been waiting for you to come visit for quite some time. I thought about sending a message in the stars, calling you, but I knew I needed to be patient. The universe always finds a way to help true love in the end,” she said. 

Rose felt her heart skip a beat unexpectedly at the look Aphrodite gave her. As if she was peering into her soul. 

“My love, Hermes, is trapped in the underworld. Hades won’t release him, and refuses to rejoin our Council until Hermes’ debt is paid. It’s causing quite the rift in the family, as I’m sure you can imagine,” she said, her hands moving to her own chalice of wine. 

“Hermes?” Rose asked. “The messenger?” 

Aphrodite smiled at her and sipped her wine. 

“The very same,” she said coolly. The Doctor watched her with an engaged expression, ready to learn more. “As I mentioned, he owes Hades a debt. One I can’t help him with, no matter how much I want to. I have tried, and failed three times already. I have many gifts, but not the one needed to help Hermes, I’m afraid. Hades is usually kind, but he is also stubborn, and he takes promises very seriously. I believe you, Doctor…and you, Rose, from what I can tell by looking at your heart, are the ones who can help him.” 

Rose looked at the Doctor, but he was still paying attention to Aphrodite. 

“What sort of debt?” he asked softly. She smiled sadly. 

“His soul.” 

“How’d he lose that?” the Doctor asked. Aphrodite sighed, standing up in one swift motion and moving to the fireplace and candles that stood behind her. 

“He bargained for his soul for the life of a child,” she whispered, her hands tracing the emblems on the fireplace. “He is kind, Hermes. The child is trapped as well. Hermes went to the underworld some time ago to give his soul to Hades but… when Hades went to extract it, it wasn’t there. Someone had already stolen it.” 

Rose was confused, but she could tell the Doctor wasn’t. He was stiffer than he was when they first started to talk. 

“Do you know who it was?” he asked. 

“Yes,” Aphrodite said, turning back to them. “It was Pandora.” 

“Like the box?” Rose asked. Aphrodite smiled sadly at her. 

“Precisely that. Pandora lives inside that box, and is truly the darkest part of Atlantis. We aren’t sure where the box is located, but… I looked into the Core of Atlantis, a mechanism reserved for Riox when they are trying to protect the sanctity of this planet and I saw it. She visited Hermes while he slept the night before he went to the Underworld and extracted his soul herself. I’m sure it’s a game for her, and so I can only assume…” she trailed off, looking down at the ground. 

“It’s in the box,” the Doctor said. His hand found Rose’s. 

It was silent for a moment. Rose bit her lip. 

“ What happens to Hermes, if we give Hades his soul?” Rose asked, setting her chalice back on the table. Aphrodite smiled. 

“He will be free. He offered it to Hades willingly, and so Hades will allow him to leave the Underworld so long as he has soul as payment for the child who died,” she said. 

The Doctor set his chalice down on the table and watched Aphrodite carefully. 

“The child…” he began, his voice kind and soft, “Who are they?” 

Rose could see the sorrow in Aphrodite’s eyes. 

“It is our son. Hermes’ and mine,” she whispered. 

“I’m so sorry,” Rose whispered. Aphrodite shook her head. 

“Hermes couldn’t stop himself. He had to do everything he could to get our son back, our Dion. He drowned. It was a complete accident. And truthfully... Hades would much rather have Hermes soul rather than Dion’s. Since he is one of the original Riox. It will make the underworld stronger to have two First Origin souls running through the River Styx. And Hermes doesn’t care. He just wants Dion back. We both do,” she said. 

It all was very overwhelming to Rose, who recognized the words but couldn’t put the pieces together. The Doctor could see this, and he laced his fingers in hers. 

“It’s not like the myths you were told. Hades’ body and soul are separated. His soul is the one who stays and watches the underworld. Hades’ body is more carefree, and often returns to Atlantis,” he told her. 

“This is correct,” Aphrodite said. “It is an irreversible process, separating a Riox soul and body. But the souls make the underworld stronger as they protect the dead. You may think of it like guardian angels, dearest Rose. The strongest Riox souls are the members of the counsel. It should have been an easy process, but....” 

“I understand,” Rose said, the pieces finally coming together in her mind. “Why us, exactly? Why are we the only ones who can help?”

Aphrodite looked at them tenderly. 

“Pandora is afraid of a Big Bad Wolf,” she said calmly. Rose felt her head spin more than it already was from the wine. The Doctor looked at her.

They both knew what Aphrodite was talking about. 

Aphrodite smiled. 

“I am the Riox of Love. My gift from the universe is perception of hearts. I have seen yours, Rose, and the Wolf lives in you,” she said. 

Rose was frozen. The Doctor placed a hand on her arm. 

“Rose?” he asked. She snapped back quickly, but her head was spinning and she felt sick. 

“Ah. I am so sorry. You are human, how irresponsible of me. Here, come.” Aphrodite said. She grabbed Rose by the arm carefully. The Doctor stood to follow. “No, no, Doctor, please, sit. I will be back in a moment. Rose will be fine.” 

He watched as the door closed. 

Aphrodite brought Rose to Artemis, who was able to use the Riox healing powers to reduce the pressure from the wine in Rose’s head. It caused Rose to fall asleep, and they made her comfortable on some cushions before Aphrodite returned to the Doctor. 

“How is she?” he asked. He wasn’t worried, he trusted the Riox. Aphrodite smiled and hummed. 

“Bit of an intense… buzz? I believe that is the human word for it. We cleared it for her and she is resting. Should be up in an hour or so,” she said. The Doctor nodded. 

“I am sorry, about Dion,” he said. He had met the boy when he was just a baby. Aphrodite nodded knowingly. 

“Me too. But I have faith in the universe, and I have faith in love, and I know that this will work,” she said. “She is quite the creature you have there. Rose.” 

The Doctor clenched his jaw and nodded, taking a sip of wine. 

“Do you love her?” Aphrodite asked. The Doctor felt a lump in his throat and his eyes avoided Aphrodite’s. 

“So much it scares me,” he said, quietly. Aphrodite nodded. 

“Heroes always fear love,” she said, pondering the curtain against the window. “They fear it makes them weak, or fear it makes them stronger, and therefore more vulnerable. They fear the loss of that love, and they fear the joys. Heroes are often so used to being alone, aren’t they, Doctor?” 

He was looking at his feet, his breathing shallow. 

“I’m no hero,” he whispered. She smirked. 

“Tell that to Jason or Odysseus. Or Poseidon. Or the Universe you saved through great personal sacrifice,” she mused. He clenched his jaw again. 

“What’s your point, Aphrodite?” he asked. It wasn’t harsh, but it was direct. She nodded. 

“The universe always finds a way to help true love in the end,” she said. “But only if the love is deserved. I can see into both of your hearts, and I can tell you… This love, the one between you and that human girl out there, it is worthy.” 

The Doctor felt hot tears tug at his eyes. It surprised him, and he quickly brushed them away with the back of his hand. Aphrodite hummed. 

“You don’t need to hide your emotions, Doctor. Not with me,” she said. 

He swallowed the last of the wine and sank into the cushion. Aphrodite watched him carefully. 

“What are you afraid of?” she asked. He closed his eyes and sighed. 

“Where do I begin?” he said bitterly. She let out a small laugh. 

“You torture yourself, you know,” she revealed, moving to sit a little closer but not directly next to him. She understood he needed space to process. “Aren’t you tired of running? I’ve known you a long time, Doctor.” 

He looked at her, his eyes pained. 

“It can’t last,” he said quietly. “That’s what I’m afraid of. I've lost her before. And I worry...it’ll just be… too painful.” 

Aphrodite poured him another glass of wine. 

“All love ends, Doctor. Everything dies. It's what you do with the time you have that matters,” she said. Then she laughed. “Look at me. Talking to a Time Lord about time. I have looked into many hearts in my life. You know what I see the most?” she asked. He looked at her. “Regret. Not jumping when a heart had the chance.” 

He let out a small chuckle. It wasn’t a full laugh, and he didn’t particularly find anything funny, but he sat in thought. He reached for the wine and took another sip. 

“How do we find the box?” he asked, changing the subject. Aphrodite sighed. 

“Wolf instincts,” she replied. The Doctor sat up a little. 

“Rose?” he asked. She nodded. 

“She has them in her. She just has to trust herself,” she said. 

“It almost killed her before,” he said firmly. Aphrodite nodded. 

“She won’t be using whatever energy gave her those instincts. Just the ghost remnants,” Aphrodite said. “I can show her how. Listening to your heart is a very special gift. But if you are uncomfortable, it is alright. I didn’t mean to pry.” 

The Doctor shook his head. “Never. Knowing Rose, she’ll do everything she can to help.” 

“Very noble,” Aphrodite said. The Doctor smiled to himself. 

“Yeah,” he said. 

Their eyes met again. Aphrodite gave him a knowing look. 

“Thank you, Doctor, for your help,” she said. He stared at the chalice on the table. 

“Thanks for the chat,” he replied. 

:::: 

They exited the room and the Doctor walked over to Rose, sitting down carefully on the cushions next to her. She stirred when his body touched hers and her sleepy eyes brightened at him as she began to wake up. 

“Hello,” she said groggily. 

“Hello,” he said, rubbing her hand with his thumb. “How are you feeling?” 

“I’m fine. Just embarrassed,” she said, blushing. He laughed, pulling her to him in a hug. 

“Don’t be,” he whispered. 

“Where’s Aphrodite? Did she say what we have to do?” she asked. He nodded. 

“She said you have to trust your instincts,” he mumbled. 

“What does that mean?” she asked. 

He didn’t hear her. His mind was swimming with the words Aphrodite said to him. 

_You know what I see most? Regret._

_You torture yourself._

_It’s what you do with the time you have that matters._

He felt Rose’s heartbeat against his chest as he hugged her, and he closed his eyes. 

“Doctor?” she asked again. 

“Hm?” he said, breaking the hug a little to look at her. She smiled. 

“What did she mean, trust my instincts?” she repeated. 

“She said she’d teach you. It’s supposed to help us find the box,” he said. “Timey-Wimey stuff, I’m sure, but I trust them, Rose. If she says it's not dangerous I believe her.” 

“Even if it was, I’d do it, she said, smiling. He smiled back. 

“I know,” he said. 

_This love, the one between you and that human girl out there, it is worthy._

“Figures our date is another rescue mission,” he mumbled jokingly. Rose looked at him very seriously. 

“Traveling with you, I love it,” she said, her tongue in cheek smile creeping through. 

“Me too,” he said, his brain flashing to that day on New Earth. 

He glanced up and saw Aphrodite smiling knowingly at him in the hallway leading to the ballroom. He nodded. 

“Come on, Rose Tyler, you ready to learn about those instincts?” he asked. 

“I thought you’d never ask,” she replied, taking his hand.


	2. Truth or Dare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! In case you're curious, I have Riox pronounced like "Rio" in my head. :) 
> 
> This chapter is sweet. Let's hope it stays that way. There is adult content in this one, so note the mature rating!

They said their goodbyes to the other Riox, who were all too full and drunk to fully understand what was going on. Poseidon was completely asleep, snoring in his large throne. It made Rose laugh, seeing such ethereal beings so _wasted._

They followed Aphrodite upstairs, following a winding staircase with large windows on all sides of them. The Doctor was holding Rose’s hand as they reached Aphrodite’s living quarters. 

It was a beautiful room with a large red rug in the middle. The ceilings were close to twenty feet tall, and the yellow and green sunset was visible across the entire planet from her balcony. Rose was awestruck, taking it all in, as Aphrodite told them to make themselves comfortable. She walked into her closet, which like the TARDIS was much bigger than it looked, and came back out with a small wooden box. 

“Here we are,” she said softly. She placed the box on a table, and Rose and the Doctor stood around it in anticipation. She opened it, and a small heart shaped necklace sat against a velvet cushion. 

“It’s beautiful,” Rose said. 

“For you, my dearest Rose,” she told her, lifting it out of the box and handing to the Doctor. “Why don’t you do it?,” she whispered to him. 

He stood behind Rose, and gently placed the necklace over her heart, latching it around her neck. It began to glow, and suddenly Rose began to feel weak. 

“Hold her, Doctor,” Aphrodite said calmly. “There will be resistance at first, but her heart will understand in a moment and she will be able to listen to it.” 

He did as he was told, Rose resting in his lap as the effect of the necklace worked its Riox magic. Rose’s eyes shot open after a few moments, and she looked around carefully. 

The Doctor didn’t say anything, but he looked at Aphrodite. She smiled. 

“How do you feel?” she asked Rose. 

“The same, really,” she said. 

“Good. The Wolf instincts will only speak to you when you need them.” 

The Doctor was fascinated. He found everything about the Riox technologies vastly intriguing. He smiled at Rose and stood up, scanning the box with his screwdriver. Aphrodite laughed. 

“You aren’t going to get a reading, Doctor,” she said. Rose smiled. 

“Won’t stop him, trust me,” she said. He flashed her a look as he circled the box, excitement bubbling up. 

“How does it work?” he asked. Rose felt her heart flutter as the anticipation in his voice. 

“It’s Riox technology, my design. I create these necklaces usually for marriage ceremonies. It binds the hearts of the two wearing them together, allows them to listen to each other’s hearts and feel the power of love. It's actually not too far removed from the Bonding of the Mind ceremonies you had on Gallifrey, Doctor,” she said, looking at him. He avoided Rose’s eyes as they flashed to him in surprise, and he tried so hard not to clench his jaw at the mention of his home. “Those necklaces use hearts carved from the same stone. This one is unique. This is the only stone of its kind, and when Hermes was lost something told me I needed to make this, and that one day I would give it to the one who could bring him home. It helps you access your heart.” 

Rose touched the necklace carefully. It felt warm and comforting. 

“What are these instincts exactly?” she asked. 

“I’m glad you asked,” Aphrodite said. “I told you before I am able to perceive hearts. In yours, there is a power, an acute sense to find ones who are lost. A Wolf sense. Fascinating creatures, wolves are. They use their instincts when they hunt, and your instincts are there. It comes from the energy the Doctor told me almost killed you in your past.” 

Rose’s eyes met the Doctor’s now. There wasn’t fear or worry, if anything, there was pride as he listened to Aphrodite speak. 

“Bad Wolf,” Rose said. “That’s what the energy was. I looked into the Time Vortex to save the Doctor.” 

Aphrodite clapped her hands once as she let out a sound that Rose could only describe as glee. 

“I apologize! It just makes so much sense. You harnessed that power through an act of pure, selfless love. That’s why the instincts are so strong. That’s why the universe sent you to me, I just know it. The universe always finds a way to help true love. You were meant for this necklace, Rose. It is my honor to give it to you.” 

Rose blushed as she spoke and she saw the Doctor make that silly face of his where he tries to brush off a feeling and look the other way. Love wasn’t a word they used. Sure, there were hugs, and kisses, sometimes _really_ passionate ones, but in three years neither had said those 8 letters. 

Not that she didn’t want to. But a small part of her was afraid that they will slip out one day and the Doctor will be so surprised he’ll drop her off at Jackie and Pete’s and run away into the stars without her. 

She knew he wasn’t ready to hear them. 

“After our talk, I asked Apollo to prepare a room for both of you, if you would like to rest for the night. And I want to thank you both, so much, for all that you are doing to save my family.” 

Rose smiled at her. The Doctor nodded. 

~~~

Aphrodite walked them down the hall, now illuminated with turquoise and purple lights that echoed the pillars at the entrance. They reached the room, and the door swung open. 

“I will be just down the hall if you need anything. There are robes and all the things you may need through that closet. Sleep well, and thank you again,” she said before slipping away. 

The ornate door closed and Rose and the Doctor looked around. He swallowed hard when he saw Aphrodite gave them two beds, and the room was truly beautiful. He looked at Rose carefully, but she still seemed completely enraptured by the entire experience. 

The necklace glistened against the triple moons outside. 

The Doctor thought _she_ looked beautiful. 

She opened the closet and pulled out one of the robes Aphrodite mentioned. It was turquoise, a color Rose quickly picked up as this planet's signature look, and without saying a word she slipped into the closet and changed out of her clothes, wrapping her naked body in the soft fabric. The Doctor sat on the bed on the left and took his shoes off. He sighed and decided he should remove his suit coat as well. He left his tie, collared shirt and trousers on though as he moved to lie on the bed. 

They hadn’t shared a room before. Not like this. Not when they weren't facing imminent death. He was trying not to think too much into it. There were nights when he would pop in to make sure she was okay after he heard her have a nightmare in the past year, but he always left. Always. 

He felt his hearts quicken as the closet door opened and Rose appeared. He looked over at her and couldn’t stop his eyes from tracing her body, each curve accentuated and radiant against the moonlight. 

Turquoise was his new favorite color. 

The necklace was resting on her chest and he smiled at her. She bit her lip before laughing at him. 

“Is that what you’re sleeping in?” she asked. He looked down. 

“What?” he said, confused by her question. She rolled her eyes. 

“Okay. Well, goodnight, then, I suppose, Doctor,” she said, throwing the thick comforter back on her bed and crawling in. 

Aphrodite’s words were still swimming in the Doctor’s ears as the lights turned off in the room. He could still see her silhouette in the moonlight, and he closed his eyes and pressed the back of his head to the bed frame. 

He wanted to talk to her. He opened his mouth, but no words came out again. He had so much to say. 

But he wasn’t ready to say it. 

Aphrodite’s voice still rang in his ear. 

_You know what I see most? Regret._

He knew that to be true. 

“Rose?” he asked, his voice slightly whining. 

She smiled against her pillow. 

“Hm?” 

“You’re okay with all of this, yeah? The Wolf instincts, finding the box and all that?” he asked. 

She turned, the right side of her face visible to him against the moonlight. 

“I find it all exciting,” she said playfully. He smiled. 

“Good, just checking.”

There was a silence for a moment, and when Rose realized he wasn’t going to say more she turned back around and closed her eyes. 

Another moment. 

And another. 

_It’s what you do with the time you have that matters._

“Rose?” he asked again, his voice playful. Rose smiled again. “Wanna play a game?” 

“What?” she asked, rolling over and chuckling a little at him. 

“Well, I figure, this is kinda like a sleepover, isn’t it? Don’t humans play games at sleepovers?” 

She smiled so wide her cheeks started to hurt. 

“Like a pillow fight?” she asked, amused. 

“We could have a pillow fight,” he said, grinning. “But I’m pretty sure these are feather pillows, and those break quite easily, and then we’d have to explain to all your Greek Gods that we destroyed their property...” 

It was playful banter, the kind that hadn’t been around for the last few days. Not since before London, 2056. She was so happy, and she was sitting up straight in her bed now. 

“What game are you thinking, then?” she asked. 

“Truth or Dare?” he asked. 

He might regret this. 

Rose’s eyebrows raised to her hairline and she flashed his favorite smile. 

“Really?” she asked. 

“Yeah, c’mon Rose Tyler, give it your best shot,” he said. 

His hearts were pounding. 

“Okay. Truth or dare?” she asked. 

“Dare,” he said quickly. 

“I dare you to put on the robe in the closet,” she said giggling. He groaned. “You said dare!” 

He smiled at her and a single light flipped back on as he moved the closet and changed. It too was turquoise, and when he emerged Rose nearly passed out. 

He was perfect. 

“Happy?” he asked. 

“Thrilled,” she replied. 

He stood near the closet, his hearts soaring from the exchange. “Truth or dare?” he asked. 

“Truth,” she said. 

“Worst dinner Jackie ever made you?” he said, smiling teasingly at her. 

“Christmas 1998. Turkey on the walls,” she said. He laughed and bounced back over to the bed. This was fun. “Truth or dare?” she asked. 

“Truth,” he said. 

She wanted to ask about marriage bonds on Gallifrey, but she knew him well enough to know that would end the game fast. 

“First thing you thought when you saw me?” she asked. A little daring, but hopefully not enough to scare him away. 

His grin eased her fear. 

“She can run,” he replied. She smiled. “Truth or dare?”

“Dare,” she said. 

“I dare you to push these beds together,” he said. 

His eyes bulged. That is _not_ what he thought he was going to say. 

She gawked at him. 

She got up and pushed. They were heavy, and she tried twice before she gave up. He smiled at her. “Does this count?” she asked. 

“A for effort, Rose,” he said, still smiling. 

“Truth or dare?” she asked. 

“Dare,” he said. 

“I dare you to let me use your sonic screwdriver,” she said playfully, a gleam in her eye. 

“I don’t give my sonic to anyone,” he teased, a gleam in his as well. 

“I’m not anyone,” she added, smiling. 

He felt his hearts skip. 

She most certainly wasn’t. 

She was everything. 

Not taking his eyes off of her, he reached into his suit coat that was draped on the nightstand and pulled it out, flipping it over and handing it to her. 

She didn’t actually expect him to do it, and felt her heart quicken as she took it. 

He looked at her carefully, trying to ignore the desire he was feeling watching her. She flashed that smile as she adjusted the setting. Wait. How did she know the settings? 

She would never tell him she wrote them all down as he mentioned them over the last three years. 

“What are you doing?” he asked, his voice a little breathier than he meant it to be. Oh, she really shouldn't press that button... that would be his undoing. 

“Setting 878, anti-gravity pull,” she said. She scanned her bed and it floated barely above the ground, gravity no longer weighing it down. She kept her eyes on him too, just as he watched her, and pushed the bed in the air next to his. She clicked it again and it fell into place with a small thump. 

She handed him the screwdriver. 

His mouth felt dry. 

“Truth or dare?” she asked, still standing where her bed had just been. Her voice was barely a whisper. 

“D-dare,” he said, his hearts pounding. 

“I dare you to kiss m-,” she said. 

His mouth was on hers before she could finish the sentence. 

It wasn’t sweet or tender, it was fiery and needy and the Doctor was pushing his tongue against hers immediately. She groaned against his lips from the pressure, pulling him closer to her as he deepened the kiss, both of their arms wrapped tightly around each other. 

_It’s what you do with the time you have that matters._

He found her neck again, just like he did in London and kissed it sloppily. Rose found herself digging her nails into his robe, gasping as his teeth grazed her skin. 

_Regret. Not jumping when a heart had the chance._

“Rose-” he moaned, goosebumps rising on his arms. She was intoxicating. She tasted of faint sweat and sweet honey, and he smiled, grateful for his superior senses at the moment as Rose’s hips buckled against his. 

“Truth or dare,” he said, kissing her neck again. 

“What?” she asked, breathless. 

“Truth. Or. Dare?” he repeated, kissing her between each word. 

She felt her stomach do a somersault. 

“Dare,” she somehow breathed out. 

“I dare you to take this robe off,” he said. 

He wanted to say he should stop, that this was going too far, but he didn't care. Not in this moment.

She felt sensations all over her body as he pulled his lips off of her for a moment and stood back. Her chest was heaving, and with a swift motion she undid the tie and the entire thing fell to the floor. 

She was illuminated by the moonlight, and the Doctor stared in awe. 

“That bad, huh?” she said, feeling nervous under his gaze. His eyes met hers. 

“Get over here,” he growled. 

They were kissing again, the Doctor paying attention to parts of her she never in all the galaxies thought he would see. Her brain wasn’t processing the feeling of him fast enough, causing her to grip him closer to her as if he could never be where she needed him to be. 

“Doctor - “ she said. He made a noise that sent a shiver down her spine. 

His name on her lips. He liked that. 

“T-truth or dare?” she whispered as he continued to explore new regions of her body, tantalizing and sucking all at the same time. 

“Dare,” he murmured. He liked dare. Dare had been good to them so far. 

“I dare you to take off your robe next,” she said, her voice finding its way back to her. He smiled, kissing her as he undid the robe and pulling her to him. 

She cried out at the sensation of her skin against his in this way, and he lifted her up so her legs were around his waist, kissing and adoring her as he made his way to their makeshift queen sized bed. He was gentle now, very careful not to go too quickly as he kissed her slowly and brushed his hand along her body. He hovered above her, his eyes hungry. 

“Truth or dare?” he whispered. 

“Truth,” she whispered. 

“Is this okay?” he asked. She bit her lip. 

“Yes, oh my god, yes,” she breathed out, and he captured her lips in a kiss. 

He was so far gone at this point, and he just needed _more_. More Rose. More skin. More.

They were rolling on the beds, body parts throbbing and discovering more about each other as he snaked his hands into her hair. The moonlight still glistened on their skin, the light in the hallway had turned back off, and as they shifted Rose would catch a glimpse of his freckles, and he could see her face as she moaned. 

“Rose-” he said urgently. 

Their bodies melted into each other, and she cried at the feel of him. It was all slightly bumpy and awkward at first, before it began to feel like they were made for each other. 

And as Rose called his name, the Doctor felt his breath catch in throat; realization hitting him. 

This body _was._ It was made for Rose Tyler. 

He regenerated into the version of himself that would be best for her. 

The youngest version of himself, even at his oldest age. This version that was playful with her, and charming, handsome (according to her), sometimes rude (but only because she was there to call him on it), not ginger (because she likes brunettes), and fiercely protective of her, even more so than he had been before. 

This version that would be able to love her, if he allowed himself to. 

All he thought about was her as he collapsed on top of her, his body tingly and his forehead pressed to hers. Her eyes were still closed, and as he caught his breath he managed to sit up just slightly, gazing at this perfect human beneath him. 

“Truth or dare?” she mumbled sleepily, causing him to laugh and kiss her forehead. 

“Truth,” he whispered, trying not to cry from the overwhelming thoughts in his head. 

“Do this again sometime?” she mumbled. 

“Oh, definitely,” he said, planting small butterfly kisses on her temple. 

He rolled next to her and stared at her, wanting to tell her everything he was feeling, but he could see how tired she was, so he just pushed her hair behind her ears and smiled at her. She rolled into him, her head resting on his chest, and he sighed in content. He managed to pull the comforter over them, and to his surprise, he found himself drifting, too. 

_This love, the one between you and that human girl out there, it is worthy._

He normally had nightmares of the Time War the few chances he did sleep. 

He dreamt of Rose that night.


	3. Wolf Instincts

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for reading! The adventure really gets started here, I hope its a nice mix of action and lovely moments between our couple for you.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly. A small pool of sunlight trickled into the room, highlighting the area where the bed she moved used to live. She had shifted off of the Doctor’s chest at some point during the night, but his arm was draped over her waist and his head was sharing her feather pillow. 

They were spooning, and she wanted desperately to flip over and gaze at his sleeping face. It all felt unreal to her, and she carefully brought her hand up to her mouth and remembered the feeling of his lips. She smiled and closed her eyes, happy to stay in his arms a little while longer. 

Two days ago, at that gala, felt like another universe entirely. 

He stirred a few minutes later, his lips instinctively kissing her hair as he pulled her even closer to his body. She suppressed a gasp as she felt him against her back, a rather lovely part of him she had very much enjoyed the previous night, and bit down on her lip to stop from letting out a noise. 

“Good morning,” he mumbled, releasing her just slightly as she turned over so her face was against his. 

“Morning,” she sighed, a smile glued to her face. He looked different, she thought. His eyes seemed brighter, and his skin had more color to it. The small dark circles she had grown used to seeing under his eyes were gone. 

He was rubbing small lines on her shoulder as he gazed at her, drinking in her messy hair and smile. 

He waited for the crash. The moment his head began to berate him for not protecting his hearts. He held his breath as he waited for it. 

But it didn’t happen. 

He leaned over and kissed her slowly, marveling over how normal it felt to wake up with her in his arms. 

They broke apart after a few lingering pecks, and Rose smiled at him. 

He almost said it. Those words that he found so terrifying to say. As he peered into her hazel galaxies, his hearts steadily beating as she looked at him, his eyes flickered to the necklace around her neck. The stone had slipped from under the blanket she was wrapped under, and he picked it up carefully, still holding her body close to his. 

“It’s pretty,” he said. She hummed a little, her hand moving to rest on his as she peered at it as well. 

She saw it. 

In the middle of the stone. 

A wolf. 

She sat up, the blanket falling to her hips as she peered carefully into the stone. The Doctor sat up behind her, his head resting on her shoulder as he tried to see what she did. 

“What is it?” he asked, mumbling against her bare skin. It caused a shudder to run through her, and she bit her lip. 

Here they were, naked in bed, still working to help the universe. 

She could get used to this. 

Her stomach flipped as she looked at him, his eyes warm and eager to hear what she had to say. 

“A wolf,” she said. “You can’t see it?” 

He shook his head, looking again at the necklace. “Instincts,” he said. 

There were unspoken words floating in the air again. They both wanted to talk about the night before, but the Doctor simply smiled at her and she pulled the blanket off of her, shivering slightly in the air and grabbed one of the robes from the floor. 

The universe had other plans. 

He heard her run to the bathroom and click on the shower. He picked up the other robe, smirking as he wrapped it around his body for Rose to see when she emerged. 

He was about to clean up the room and move the beds back to their proper spots when there was a knock at the door. He groaned and tried to ignore it, but the hand knocked again and he took a deep breath as he swung it open. 

Aphrodite stood in the doorway with a breakfast tray. There were two plates of eggs, bacon, special Riox pastries, coffee, and a simple red rose in a small vase right in between it all. He cocked a knowing eyebrow at her, trying not to smile at the sentiment. 

“A rose?” he asked, amused. She smiled. 

“I see my advice worked,” she said, glancing at the ruffled, pushed together beds. He looked down to the floor and let out a small laugh. 

“I am happy for you. You both deserve it,” she said, studying him. “Have you told her how you feel with _words_ yet, Doctor?” she asked. He looked up at her, an amazed expression on his face. 

“How-” he began to ask, wondering if it was that obvious that he had made love to her before declaring his feelings. He sighed the thought away, remembering who he was talking to. 

_Oh she knows,_ he remembers saying, once many moons ago. 

Coward. 

“I can see your heart, remember?” she asked, carefully handing him the tray of food. He sighed at the look of understanding she was giving him and set the tray on a small table next to the door. 

“I will. It just… I haven’t been able to... “ he stopped, closing his eyes in frustration with himself. Aphrodite nodded. 

“Trust your hearts, Doctor. They will guide you,” she said. “Enjoy breakfast, take your time. I have a few things to give each of you to help you on your journey when you are ready.” 

“Thank you,” he said, gesturing to the food. She smiled and turned away, and the Doctor closed the door after her. 

He adjusted the settings on his sonic screwdriver now, reversing the tantalizing work Rose had done the night before. He made the beds and saw a small round dining table against the window he didn’t notice the night before, and he set the breakfast tray on it carefully. 

“Look at you, so domestic,” Rose said, teasing him as she bounced over to him in her TARDIS blue shirt and jeans. Her eyes widened playfully when she realized what he was wearing. “You like it,” she said, the face she makes when they deduct together plastered on her features. He smirked. 

“I like how you like it,” he said, a little more seductively than he meant to. She felt her breath catch and she bit her lip. Her eyes darted to the table behind him. 

“Breakfast?” she asked. He nodded. 

“Aphrodite dropped it off. She said she has something for us before we go, as well,” he said. 

Rose took a seat at the table, and the Doctor sat across from her. They didn’t say anything as he passed a plate to her, then the coffee, and he saw her eyes watching him when she noticed the rose. 

She didn’t comment on it, but she smiled when he placed it between them, as if declaring it a symbol for whatever had shifted with them in the last 12 hours. 

The food was incredible, and Rose ate it rather ravenously. She didn’t realize how hungry she was, and the Doctor ended up slipping two more pieces of bacon from his plate onto hers with a smile.

“What?” she asked, trying to swallow her eggs before she spoke and failing. He burst into laughter. 

“Nothing,” he said. She eyed him playfully as she picked up one of his strips of bacon. 

“Are you sure? Cuz I’m not giving this back,” she said, her tongue dancing with her cheek. He had the warmest feeling in his stomach as he looked at her, and simply shook his head, still smiling. 

“All yours,” he said. 

She took a large bite and his hearts soared. 

He loved her. 

“Rose, I - “ he began, but then stopped. Not here. “I’m going to take a shower.” 

He cleaned up and returned to his signature pinstripes before he and Rose left the room, anxious to see what Aphrodite had for them.

::: 

They approached the large door to her room quickly and knocked. It opened, and her warm smile greeted them with ease as she welcomed them inside. 

In the middle of the red rug were two boxes. They were purple and coated in satin, and she knelt in front of them carefully, gesturing for Rose and the Doctor to do the same. She looked at them gratefully as she opened both boxes up, and her eyes were laced with hope. 

“I told the Council about your willingness to aid us in this time of need,” she began. “We wanted to give you these. Now, these gifts are just precautionary -” 

The Doctor and Rose looked at each other, grabbing hands and turning back to Aphrodite. 

“I know there are many myths on Earth,” she said, looking at Rose, “Some of them are true, and some are not, but many of the creatures from those myths live on the outskirts of Atlantis. In the hillsides and in the waters. We aren’t positive of the whereabouts of Pandora’s Box, and we don’t know where the Wolf will take you. Before I bestow these to you, I want to say... the journey may be long. It may be quite dangerous. Poseidon was adamant that if you would like to return to your blue box, to tell you we understand.” 

The Doctor looked at Rose who shook her head. Aphrodite smiled. 

“Thank you. Truly. Each member of the Council gathered these items through the night, things to help you along your journey. We hope that they can guide you and protect you,” she told them. 

The Doctor was elated. He _loved_ new toys. 

She turned to the box on the right. “I already gave Rose the necklace, meant to help her listen to her heart. Poseidon wanted to give each of you these bracelets, to help you breathe underwater should you need to.” 

She handed each of them a thick gold piece of jewelry, and they put them on very carefully. 

“From Artemis, I have one gift for each of you. Rose, she would like to give you this bow and these arrows. And for you, Doctor, she wanted to give you this hunting knife. She told me to tell you to ‘sonic’ it, if you would like to.” she said. Rose chuckled as he took the knife, but the laugh disappeared when she was handed the bow and arrows. 

“I don’t know how to use these,” she said. Aphrodite smiled. 

“You will,” she said. She returned to the boxes and delicately lifted the next items. “Wolves are hunters. The instincts will show you. These are from Hephaestus.” 

She handed each of them a piece of armor, a belt. It was heavy but thin. “Fire resistance. For protection.” 

Rose was beginning to realize this wasn’t a simple rescue mission. 

The Doctor grabbed her hand. 

“Zeus wanted me to give you this, Doctor,” Aphrodite began, pulling out a small disk that reminded Rose of a battery watch. “He forged it last night. It’s for your sonic screwdriver. Lightning setting 1001,” she mused, which made the Doctor smile widely. Rose watched as he inserted the chip through the bottom of the screwdriver and could tell how excited he was to use it. He hadn’t had a new setting to play with in hundreds of years. 

“For my dearest Rose, Zeus gave you this,” she said, holding up a pen. “The Doctor is not the only one with a portable device anymore. This is a Riox Quill, and it harnesses the power of a thunderclap. If you press on this part,” she said, showing Rose a small emblem, “the sky will create a storm for you. It is great for distractions.” 

Rose was overwhelmed, and she barely heard the Doctor’s playful whine about how he wanted one, too. She held the pen in her hand and stared at it, her brain trying to process all of the gifts. 

She was about to have her very own odyssey with the Doctor. 

“Hera and Ares and Apollo worked together to make you these,” Aphrodite said, pulling out the final items and setting them down in front of their knees. “Doctor, here are yours, lined with the power of Time. Not quite as handy as that blue box of yours, but should be able to help you get out of a tricky situation.” 

He held the items up and realized it was a suit. It was a dark turquoise, and even just holding it, he could feel the power and care in the crafting. He looked at Aphrodite carefully. 

“It’s lovely,” he said. She nodded, handing Rose her clothing. 

“Yours have the power of Wisdom. To help you trust your instincts,” she said. Rose looked at her in amazement, and Aphrodite stood, closing the boxes as she did. 

“Go, change. I’ll be here when you are done,” she said. Rose nodded, smiling, anticipation for this new adventure bubbling inside of her as she slipped into Aphrodite’s closet. The Doctor made his way toward the bathroom, but Aphrodite’s hand found his arm calmly, holding him back. “I have one more thing for you, but I didn’t want to give it to you in front of Rose. I know you will tell her your feelings in your own time, but this might have given you away,” she said with a wink. 

He gave her a look of wonder as she held up a stone. 

“I crafted this for you. It will help you know where Rose is at all times on this journey, in case you have to separate. Ares placed a piece of this stone in her armor. I don’t want you to have to worry about losing your heart,” she said, placing the stone in his hand. 

His jaw clenched and he looked at Aphrodite slowly. She could read him like a book. “Thank you,” he managed to say. She let go of his arm and he walked into the bathroom. 

The new suit fit like a glove, and his senses immediately knew what she meant by the power of Time. It felt eerily similar to his time robes from Gallifrey, as if every atom of his body could anticipate and dance with time and the universe. It was making him emotional, and he stood in the mirror of the bathroom for a moment, trying not to cry and swiping away the single tear that did fall. 

_This was a good thing,_ he kept telling himself. 

He pulled himself together, walking out of the bathroom and back to Aphrodite, making sure to equip the rest of the armor and line his pockets with his sonic screwdriver and the stone. 

“Wow,” he heard Rose say, and he spun quickly, his eyes locking with hers. 

For the second time in 24 hours, the Doctor couldn’t stop his eyes from tracing their way down her body, and he found his cheeks pulling into a smile as he took her in. 

A burgundy dress clung to her down to her feet and up to her shoulders before wrapping around her arms as well. It's design was simple and easy to move in. Across her neck and shoulders, and darting just below her breasts sat a beautiful and exquisite turquoise chest piece, one that felt comforting and warm the second Rose put it on. The necklace rested in the middle of it, and her blonde hair fell loosely on her shoulders. 

She was a revelation. 

A goddess. 

Aphrodite helped her wrap the belt around her waist and handed her the bow and arrows. Her hazel galaxies never left his chocolates as the final bit of armor was put in place, and there was an understanding between them that whatever they were about to do was going to be unlike any journey had they been on before. 

For a lot of reasons. 

She smiled at him, and when Aphrodite took a step back he approached her and wrapped her in a hug. She smiled, his familiar Christmas scent engulfing her and he placed a kiss on her lips softly. Rose broke, surprised at the affection with Aphrodite standing in the room, but the Doctor didn’t care. Aphrodite was the reason he felt like he could finally do this with her. So he kissed her again, this time a little longer, and laced their fingers together. 

“You ready?” he asked, his eyes dancing with hers. She smiled. 

They turned to Aphrodite, who was looking at them like they could walk on water. 

“I can’t thank you both enough,” she said again. Rose smiled. 

“Family is important,” she said. “I saw a wolf in the necklace this morning. What do I do?” 

“Run after it,” she said. Rose looked at the Doctor. 

“I think we can handle that,” she said. He grinned. 

::::

The remaining Riox were gathered in the ballroom again, and were sending them off with applause and appreciation. Poseidon’s eyes met the Doctor’s and he nodded, silently thanking him for once again coming to their rescue. The Doctor held Rose’s hand as they bounded down the long steps, and soon they were among the crowd of people bustling to the market or trying to rush home. 

Rose fit right in in her new clothes, and the Doctor was easy to spot in his turquoise suit. They held hands, snaking their way through the groups and families until they reached the river. It flowed through the middle of town and connected to the vast expanse of water that surrounded them. Rose closed her eyes, trying to see if she could access the Wolf, but nothing happened. 

“I still don’t know what I’m supposed to do,” she said. The Doctor looked at her. 

“Let’s just keep walking. In town. See if something happens. She said to trust. We can sight-see! Have that date I promised,” he said with a wide grin. 

“Okay,” she agreed, returning the smile. 

“Right! Well, then, Rose Tyler, which way do you wanna go?” he said, squeezing her hand. 

She knew this game. And it made her stomach do that familiar somersault.

“That way,” she said, pointing in front of them. 

“That way?” he asked. His eyes were shining against the reflection of the river. 

“No, actually, wait… That way,” she said, gesturing to the right. 

“That way,” he said.

“Yeah, that way,” she whispered. 

_Say it._

_This is a perfect moment._

_Say. It._

He didn’t. 

_You’re an idiot,_ a distinctly northern voice said in his head. 

He was. 

But he still smiled at her, taking things as quickly as he could, sliding his fingers in between hers and running with her in the direction she was pointing. 

They approached a large patch of green grass with a topiary tree maze in the center of it. It was majestic, and quite spectacular, and Rose saw Cherry Blossom Trees along the path of the bushes and flowers, and a faint smell of eucalyptus clung to her nose. 

“The Gardens of Athena,” the Doctor said, his eyebrows wagging. “She doesn’t live in Atlantis anymore, she and some of the other Riox you know like Dionysus and migrated to the planet Olympus, which is much smaller and in another galaxy, but they did so to keep an eye on Riox technologies across the stars.” 

“The Goddess of Wisdom,” Rose mused as her hand brushed up against a tree. Its branches lowered to her, which caused her to jump back in surprise. 

“They’re saying hello,” he said. “Hello!” 

Rose watched as he spun in a circle waving at the tree. After three years, nothing should surprise her, but this all felt particularly amazing. 

They continued to walk down the path, stopping by a fountain with dancing waters that changed colors from yellow to pink. 

“The Fountain of Youth,” he said, giddy. Rose’s eyes widened. 

“No!” she exclaimed. 

“Careful,” the Doctor said, pulling her back from getting too close. 

“Sorry,” she said, biting her lip. 

“ Jackie would _kill_ me if I brought you back as a baby,” he said, teasing her and grinning. 

“Better than a dog,” she said. He burst out laughing. 

As they continued to explore the gardens, the banter was playful and fun. It reminded Rose of the adventures they had before Canary Wharf. It has been so long since she had seen him quite like this. Not that the adventures in the past year hadn’t had the boisterous, joyous Doctor she knew he could be, but there was always a hint of fear and darkness. A layer of protectiveness over her that prevented him from smiling the way he was today. 

And sometimes, he was downright terrifying. 

It had bothered her, not being able to do anything to calm his fears. She knew where they were coming from, and in many ways she shared them. But now, as they laid on the grass, looking up at the pure blue sky, she took his hand and pondered. 

She wanted to talk about what they were. Wanted to see if this was a defense mechanism, the giddiness and smiles, or if he was okay. Wanted to talk about the night before. Wanted to expose her innermost secrets and wear her heart on her sleeve, but she was so afraid she’d be left with a Doctor shaped hole in the grass if she did that, that she just kept her mouth shut and moved a little closer to him. 

He could sense it, though, the unsaid words that kept following them around. The words that lingered in the TARDIS after 2056. The ones that lived in the shadows of every glance and every hug. He looked at her, and when her eyes met his, he smiled. 

He could say _almost_ everything, right? 

“Last night…” he began. Rose froze. “I, um. I’ve wanted to do that for a long time.” 

She felt her heart drop to her stomach. 

“Y-yeah?” she whispered. He rolled on his side and moved to brush the hair out of her eyes. 

“Yes,” he said. 

“Me too,” she whispered. His smile made her knees weak, and she thanked Athena or whoever the God was here that she was already laying down. 

“Right. Good, that’s...er… brilliant, then,” he said. Rose bit her lip. 

“Yeah,” she breathed. 

A moment passed. 

And another. 

“Can I ask you a question?” she finally asked. He nodded. “We’re...a couple, or whatever, now, right?” He looked at her carefully. That was a label. A very domestic label. 

“Do you want to be?” he asked. His hearts were beating rapidly in his chest. 

“Yeah, I do. Of course I do,” she said. 

“I um...” he whispered. 

"We don't have to, Doctor. If it's too much. I get it." 

He kissed her, his hand wrapping itself in her hair and his body turning so he was hovering over her just a little. 

_It’s what you do with the time you have that matters._

"No, no it's not that. It's just..." he broke off, and Rose shifted so her eyes could meet his. "I've kept you at a distance for a long time because, well... you know." 

"What?" she asked. He looked at her, and the sadness in his eyes told her what she needed to know. Because he was afraid to lose her. 

"Can we just, I don't know, just try? We're practically together anyway, even without the intimate bits. And it was brilliant, but I don't need all that. I really don't. I just... I need you. Remember what I said a couple years ago on that volcano planet? What was it -" 

"Lavatar," the Doctor whispered, his throat tightening at the memory of when she promised him forever. "Could never forget that." 

"Well, I meant it. For however long my forever is, it is yours," she said. 

The crash he waited for that morning, it was here. All it took was meaningful conversation. Brilliant. 

"Yeah," he said quietly, trying to push back tears. 

"Doctor, will you talk to me? Please? For once?" she asked. He groaned and laid back down on the grass. 

The day had been going so well. He was so angry with himself. A bloody coward. Every single damn time. 

Why couldn't he just be honest? He could bare all of his selfish fears out on the table for her, but he suspected she already knew them. She had to, his impossible human, and that's why she brought up the "forever" conversation. She only ever did that when she sensed he was uneasy about _them_. 

Up until this point, it had been a perfect day. They had been happy. He should have just said yes to the couple question. He could have avoided all of this. 

"Doctor?" Rose asked. He sighed. 

_Regret. Not jumping when a heart had a chance._

"You mean... quite possibly, and quite literally, everything to me. It's overwhelming. It's just not a fear of losing you, Rose. I have lost you. And it broke me. I...It's...I don't think I can handle it. I won't..." 

"Shhh...." she said, rubbing her hand on his arm. "Come here." 

She hugged him, laying in the grass, and he felt more pathetic than ever as her hand continued to rub his arm, then his back, and finally his hair. 

"We don't have to label anything, alright? Just promise me it's me and you against the entire universe, and I'm okay," she whispered. He looked at her. 

"Always, Rose," he mumbled. 

She kissed him. Soft, slow, warm, gentle. He felt such a strong wave of guilt for not being able to do this for her, but she nibbled at his bottom lip and sighed against his skin. 

"Don't beat yourself up, yeah? This is perfect." 

"You're perfect," he replied instinctively. She smiled. 

He would get there. He would. He promised himself he would be the man Rose Tyler deserved. 

And he kissed her. Soft, slow, warm, gentle. 

Rose felt the necklace warm against her skin. With a groan, she pulled away from his perfect lips and looked at it. 

The Wolf was there again. The Doctor sat up, watching her as she closed her eyes. 

Images began to appear in her mind. The river was there, falling down into a waterfall that led to the vast expanse of the water. 

She knew where to go.


	4. Trapped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!

Too afraid to lose the instinct, she grabbed the Doctor’s hand and pulled him behind her, running silently through the gardens back to the main street. 

They made their way up the steps that led them to the gardens, and Rose could suddenly smell the water. Images of the river flashed through her mind again, and the Doctor was following, completely along for the ride. 

Moments later, she stopped. When she looked down, they were at the river. The waterfall it fed into was a few feet away, and the vast expanse of water roared beneath them. She looked at him, knowing what they had to do and feeling alive at the prospect. 

She lived for adventure. 

“We have to jump,” she said, the breeze blowing through her hair. He looked down, a mad and wide smile forming on his face. “Hold my hand?” she asked. 

He did. 

They were screaming and laughing on the way down. 

Their bodies collided with the large body of water and nearly sank to the bottom. Rose’s brain panicked for a moment, until she remembered they had their bracelets from Poseidon. She opened her eyes and saw the Doctor swimming up toward the top of the water, his hand still in hers. 

There was no urgency, for once. They just wanted air to talk. 

They broke the surface, the Doctor shaking his head and laughing to get the water out of his eyes. Rose pushed her hair back as well, and felt her breath hitch when the Doctor slammed his lips into hers, having too much fun with her to resist. 

“You’re fantastic, you know that?” he said, yelling at her over the roar of the waterfall. 

Who else would have done that with him? 

His hearts were beating with adrenaline, and he continued to hungrily kiss her, noticing how enticing she was in the water with him. She gasped, laughing, and put a finger to his lips. 

“Come on, follow me,” she said. 

_Oh she knows..._

They swam back down under the water, their eyes open and their brains still not quite used to the fact that they didn’t need air. The necklace still glowed against Rose’s chest, warming her, and now images of a cave appeared in her mind. It was far down, the entrance tucked between two large stones beneath the surface, and as they approached Rose frowned, realizing the entrance was too small, a boulder blocked it. 

The Doctor looked at her, and without words she understood what he was thinking. They swam back a little as he pulled out his sonic screwdriver and shrunk the boulder down to a pebble. They grabbed hands again, swimming through the opening and back up to the surface inside. 

It was dark when they reached the edge of the ground in the cave, and Rose was shivering. Using the light on the sonic, the Doctor saw an unlit torch on the wall. He grabbed it, examining it, and Rose found two medium sized rocks in the sand. He watched her in shock as she hit the rocks together and caused a spark, lighting the torch. 

“Where’d you learn _that_?” he asked her. She shrugged. 

“Instincts, I guess,” she said. 

They looked around, trying to ignore the chill they both felt from the air and wet clothes. The cave was empty, just bare stones and wet sand. The Doctor scanned his sonic screwdriver. 

“Anything?” 

He shook his head. She touched the necklace but it had gone cold. She frowned. 

“It led us here for something,” she muttered, moving to the rocks and placing her hand on them. The Doctor climbed up on one, and licked the wall. Rose rolled her eyes. 

“Granite,” he said. 

“Yeah, I could’ve told you that,” she said. He ignored her teasing as he continued to climb, sniffing for anything peculiar. 

Rose walked to where the torch had been, trailing her hand down the wall to the floor. 

The Doctor jumped down, exploring the opposite wall to the one that Rose was at and continued to use his advanced taste senses. Rose turned and stared at him with an amused expression. When he looked over at her, his face was illuminated in the fire and his smile fell. 

“What?” he asked. 

“I’m not gonna kiss you again if you keep _licking the rocks,”_ she said. He frowned. 

“How else am I supposed to know more about where we are?” he whined, causing Rose to roll her eyes and turn back to the wall. Something told her what they were looking for was in this area, and the Doctor put the torch back in its holder to help her look. 

He saw something in the wall that looked strange to him, and he got an idea. 

“Come here, just for a second,” he said contemplatively. Rose backed up and he put his ear to the wall. There was a strange crack down the center, and he could hear the faint sound of water dripping on the other side. “Yeah, there's a cavern or something through there.” 

“How are you -” she began to ask, and ducked as the Doctor flashed setting 1001 on his sonic screwdriver. Chunks of rocks flew everywhere as the lightning bolt pounded the wall. 

“Doctor!” Rose chastised, and he turned around with an apologetic smile. 

“You okay?” he asked. She sighed. 

His boisterous self was usually a little more hazardous to be around. 

She missed him. 

She grabbed his hand and kissed his cheek as they walked through the broken wall into a larger part of the cave. The sound of water dripping was coming from stalagmites above them, falling into the water. There was light coming from cracks in the ceiling, and Rose could feel it in her heart that what they were drawn to was in this room. 

She closed her eyes. 

Behind them. 

She turned, quickly, and ran to a rather large rock in the water behind them. She carefully climbed up, and the Doctor watched her dive into the water again. 

He couldn’t see her, and he felt Aphrodite’s stone work. He could feel her. 

It took his breath away, and he stumbled back in shock. 

His head was spinning. It was like a mind bond, but not quite as intense. He couldn’t feel her emotions or see what she was seeing, but he knew where in the universe her presence was. Like a tickle in his head, a thought that he couldn’t quite shake. It felt invasive, in a way, and he took the rock out to study it carefully. 

He hadn’t told her about it, that’s why it felt so wrong. 

He returned it to his pocket as he saw her emerge from the water, a small black box in her hand. 

“It can’t have been that easy,” he exclaimed, a little disappointed. Rose shook her head. 

“That’s not it, instincts are telling me it's not” she said. “But there’s something in there we need.” 

The Doctor stood up and walked over to her, holding out the stone. 

“When you were gone, I could feel you. With this,” he said. 

“What?” she asked. 

“Aphrodite gave it to me. A way to make sure I don’t lose you. I wasn’t going to mention it, but… it felt weird, knowing I had this awareness of your presence but you didn’t know I did. So I’m telling you, that’s all.” 

A concerned look grew on her face and she placed a hand to his cheek. 

“Are you okay?” she asked. He nodded. 

“I’m fine! I just… don’t wanna keep a secret or anything,” he said. 

His hearts would scold him, if they could, for saying this to her and not telling her those words he was so scared to say. 

But he knows she knows. And he will. 

“Okay,” Rose said. “Did it help?” 

“Hm?” he asked. She smiled lovingly at him. 

“The stone. Did it help you feel better when you couldn’t see me?” she asked. He sighed. 

“Yeah,” he admitted. 

“Good,” she said, kissing him briefly. 

He felt his hearts yearn for more as she broke away and turned back to the box. The Doctor tried to open it, but it was locked. So he used his sonic screwdriver and watched with anticipation as it popped open. 

A single skeleton key rested inside. 

Rose picked it up, holding it under the light from the cracks in the ceiling. 

“10 quid this opens Pandora’s box,” she said, looking over at the Doctor. 

Time they brought back the bets. 

“Done,” he said, grinning. 

She was about to put the key in the pocket on the case for her bow when the ground began to shake. She dropped it, and luckily the Doctor caught it, tucking it away in his coat as he quickly grabbed Rose and ran back into the first part of the cave. The stalagmites were starting to fall, and suddenly they heard a sound that made both of them cover their ears. 

A scream. A long, tenacious sound that was echoing through the cave and felt like nails on a chalkboard. Rose cringed and closed her eyes. 

“Rose, run!” the Doctor said, grabbing her hand and running up on top of a rock. 

“What’s wrong?” she asked. 

She looked over his shoulder and saw what he had seen. 

A siren. 

“Any chance these are more ‘Little Mermaid’ type of mermaids?” she asked, already knowing the answer. The siren was in the second, larger part of the cave, her tail still in the water but her upper body was lying on the sand, crying. 

Rose couldn’t think straight, the sound of the siren's cry was barbaric and raw. The Doctor clenched his jaw, looking for an option out that didn’t include the water. He knew she could get to them easier there. 

The sound was getting stronger with each wail, and Rose’s head was beginning to hurt. 

They were trapped.


	5. Siren's Song

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Losing Rose.... it's truly the Doctor's biggest fear, isn't it?
> 
> Adult content but nothing too explicit

The cry echoed around them. It was growing in intensity and pitch, and Rose began to crumble to the ground from the pressure. The Doctor racked his brain, and he knew the only way out was through. 

He grabbed her hand, helping her up and down the rocks. Her hands were to her ears, trying not to listen to the siren’s call, and with a cringe the Doctor led her through the broken wall again, where the siren was laying on the sand in despair. 

“Don’t touch!” he yelled to Rose over the roar of the siren’s scream. Rose's face was twisted in pain, trying to push the shrieking away but it was growing harder the closer they got to her. The Doctor saw the siren flash her teeth, when suddenly she was quiet. 

Rose fell to the ground, her hands on either side of her head. The Doctor tried to help her back up, but she was frozen. 

Her mind was full of chaos. Images of abstract shapes she couldn’t quite make out were flashing in her head, but she knew it wasn’t the necklace speaking to her. 

It was the siren. 

She wanted to stand up, to run with the Doctor out of the cave, but her legs felt heavy and gravity was weighing on her. The Doctor looked at the siren, who was lying still on the sand. 

“Rose, we have to go. Rose?” he asked, but she wasn’t responding. “What did you do to her?” the Doctor said darkly, looking at the siren. 

She looked up at him, her sharp teeth slowly showing through a faint smile again. She began to sing. It was a song the Doctor knew. A song that reminded him of that fateful doomsday on Canary Wharf. 

The song the universe sang to him in his nightmares. The song that made time stand still. 

“Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, oohh…” 

“Stop it,” the Doctor said. 

“Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh, oooooooooh - “

“I mean it,” he snapped. 

“Ooh, ooh, ooh -” 

“STOP!” he shouted, his head beginning to spin and he brought his hands up to his ears, trying to block out the sound. 

The siren kept singing, the song growing louder in his ears. 

“Ooh, ooh, ooh - “ 

As she sang, she began to snake out of the water and crawl toward the Doctor, her song still ringing in his ears. 

Images swarmed in his mind as well. 

_She was holding a lever._

_Her eyes on him._

_“ROOOOOOOSE!!!!!”_

_“DOCTOR!!!”_

_She was slipping._

“Oooh, ooh, ooh, ooooooh - “ 

_He watched her fall._

“Oooh, ooh, ooh -” 

The Doctor couldn’t speak, the images coursed through his brain like fire, overtaking his ability to focus or function. He collapsed to the ground, and felt the siren reach into his pocket, pulling the key back out. 

She kept singing, slithering back to the water as the Doctor found breathing increasingly difficult. 

As the siren reached the climax of the song, Rose’s eyes snapped open. 

The Wolf took over. 

She ran to the Doctor, pulled out his sonic screwdriver and pointed it directly at a stalagmite above the siren. 

“Wrong song,” she said bitterly, pressing and watching as the rock fell and pierced the siren with a blood curdling scream. Rose walked to her calmly, a dark look on her face as she pulled the skeleton key from her limp hand. 

She turned and saw the Doctor on the ground, breathing heavily as his mind let go of the images he had seen. She knelt next to him, and pulled him into a hug. 

He clung to her, trying to steady his breath, and she simply held him, not saying a word. They stayed there for a few moments, and the Doctor’s breath evened and he pulled away, avoiding her eyes. 

Her stomach twisted as she looked at him. His giddy demeanor was shattered, and she could see the hints of dark circles beginning to form under his eyes again. 

He clenched his jaw and noticed his head was throbbing. 

“Are you okay?” she asked. He nodded slowly, finally meeting his eyes to hers. 

“Fine,” he muttered. “Are you?” 

“Yeah.” 

She sighed. She knew this mood. He was angry and possibly embarrassed, and was hiding in his own tortured shell. She knew she had two options, to either sit back and let him stew or to push him out of it. 

His own words, from so long ago, happy and onboard the TARDIS, came to her mind now as she looked at him. 

_You know what you need most of all? You need a hand to hold._

She stood up, her hand extended out to him. He took it slowly, standing with her, and saw the siren for the first time. He gave her a confused look and she sighed, revealing his sonic screwdriver she still had in her other hand. 

He looked at it, shaking his head a little and putting it back in his pocket. He didn’t know how to feel. 

His impossible human. 

“Thank you,” he said, his voice a little hoarse. She nodded. 

“Look at me,” she said. He didn’t. “Doctor.” 

He caved, trying to hide the weight of the universe he was currently experiencing. 

“She was just messing with you. She wanted this,” Rose added, holding up the key. “It wasn’t real.”

She was right. Sirens were telepathic, he knew this. They were able to access memories and use what they see to their advantage. It was all just simple mind-control, and he was ashamed that he let this siren get to him so badly. 

He didn’t want to talk about it. And he didn’t want to stay in the cave. He simply nodded, grabbing her hand and making his way to the water. She was watching him carefully, and he dove in first, swimming down to the entrance of the cave. With a sigh, she followed, and after a few minutes they emerged at the surface again. The main town was quite far, and they weren’t sure how to get back from the distance they were at, so they swam toward the hillsides across the expanse of water. 

Rose’s arms were getting tired as they reached the shore, and she had to rest on the sand for a moment once they made it. The Doctor, still numb, sat next to her and instinctively pulled her to him, letting her recover against his shoulder. 

He closed his eyes. He was falling into old habits, he knew. 

_Trust your hearts, Doctor. They will guide you._

He had to let her in. 

“Rose?” he asked. She looked at him, not removing her head from his arm. “I’m...sorry.” 

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

He pondered for a moment, kissing her forehead. 

“I should have been stronger. I have the ability to protect my mind, and I just… didn’t,” he muttered. She shifted away from him slightly. 

“Don’t do that,” she said quietly. “You can’t be invincible all the time.” 

He smiled at her. “S’pose.” 

A moment passed. 

“Are you okay?” he asked 

She knew what he meant. He was used to making life and death decisions, but they were still new to her. And this was the second one she made this week. 

She nodded, looking out into the water and resting her head back down against him. 

“I want you safe,” she said, looking up at him slowly. 

She was conflicted. With the droid, the kill was fulfilling a final wish. It was better, in the end, for it not to exist. But this was pure self defense, and she couldn’t help but wonder if she did the right thing or if there would have been another way to stop the song.

But she couldn’t say this, not when he was teetering so close to the dark and twisty Doctor she knew he could be. So instead, she smiled and kissed him, allowing the fact that they were both here to be enough. 

Because it was. 

She wanted to sleep, her head was still foggy. She could tell the Doctor’s was bothering him as well, but she pulled the key out and looked at it closely in the sun. 

It was midday, and the heat from the daylight was warming their clothes quickly. Rose bit her lip, examining the ridges and lines on the key. 

“Can I see?” the Doctor asked. Rose handed it to him, and he flipped it over on the other side. 

There was a small marking in the shape of a diamond in the middle. He smiled. 

“We’re looking for this,” he said, showing her. “Ancient idea, marking the key and what it opens with a symbol so you remember. The box will have this on it.” 

Rose smiled. “Good.” 

It felt awkward, especially compared to the jubilant banter they had earlier in the day. Rose sighed, looking at him. “Doctor?” 

“Hm?” he asked. 

“What do you know about what else is out there?” she asked. 

“Not a lot. The ship that landed on Earth in ancient Greece brought some creatures with them. The minotaur, cyclops… but they were just one of thousands. And as the Riox visited more and more the creatures came with them, infesting the Earth. They got it under control there, but they all come from here, so…” 

“Got it. Could be anything, then,” she said. 

“It’ll be okay,” he said seriously. She grinned. 

“Oh, I know,” she began, “it’s just the stuff of legend.” 

He got the double meaning, and it made him smile. 

“Come here,” he said, pulling her onto the sand and wrapping his arms around her. She was laying with her head on his chest, and he kissed her forehead again. “You’re tired. Sleep. We’ll continue on in a bit.” 

She tried to protest, but the pressure in her head overtook her, and she was out in moments. 

He sat with her for a while, breathing in her scent of warm honey and rubbing his hand along her back. He smirked when he heard her stomach rumble in her sleep, and he decided to try and find food. He reached for the stone in his pocket and held it to him as he carefully got up, placing Rose cozily on the sand, and stayed within eyeshot of her, trying to see what he could find. 

There wasn’t a lot on the hill, but he knew the water would have fish, so he tried his hand at that, but they kept sliding out of his grip. 

Rose woke up when he was shouting to the fish to hold still, splashing a little in the water with his trousers rolled up around his knees. 

“Have you ever done that before?” she teased, and he turned back to her. 

“Well, these aren’t like Earth fish, Rose! Much more slippery!” he protested, losing another one. She laughed. 

The necklace began to warm, and flashes of the bow and arrow came to mind. She groaned and collapsed in the sand. 

“Rose?” the Doctor called, his feet still in the water. 

“Can you hunt?” she asked. He walked to her, his head blocking the sunshine as he peered over her. 

“No,” he said, “but I take it your instincts told you what we have to do?” 

She grimaced. She was not going to enjoy this. 

They stood up, making their way into the forest and Rose’s adorable grumpiness was making the Doctor forget about the visions he had seen. Mostly. At the very least, it was helping him remember these visions were from his past, and Rose was right here next to him. His head wasn’t throbbing as much, and when he saw a boar in the distance he grabbed Rose’s hand and ducked behind a tree with her. 

She scowled at him. 

“This isn’t funny,” she muttered as he tried to suppress a laugh. 

“Artemis, the Goddess of the Hunt gave you this bow, and you don’t want to use it. It’s just…. So you. It’s brilliant,” he whispered, smiling at her. Her compassion was one of his favorite things about her. 

She sighed, knowing if they didn’t do this they wouldn’t eat, and she wasn’t sure how long this journey would be. She closed her eyes, and the instincts began to take over as she grabbed the bow and arrow and aimed. 

Not realizing she was doing it, the instincts raised the bow above the boar, and when she fired it snapped a branch off a tree a few feet away. 

Apples. 

“That’ll work,” she said gleefully, and the Doctor stared at her with his mouth agape. She managed to outdo _Artemis._

The boar squealed away. 

Rose loaded up on the fruit, eating one now, and told herself she would keep an eye out on other things to eat as they went. The Doctor smirked, biting into an apple as well. 

“Well played,” he told her, smacking his lips as he chewed. 

He grabbed her hand, and they continued to explore the hillside. As they reached the peak of where they were walking, they breathed a sigh of relief. A small village rested beneath them, and they made their way down carefully. 

There were only ten or eleven small cottages around a single town square. A little girl gasped when she saw them walking down the hill, pointing and shouting back to her mother. 

“Riox! Riox!” she said. Rose looked at the Doctor, who was smiling at the child. 

“Hello!” he said, kneeling down and smiling at her. 

“Riox?” she asked, her eyes wide. 

The Doctor understood, and Rose was catching up as she looked around. The village was a stark contrast to the city of Atlantis. It was very bare, with no bright colors like the ones she had seen on the tapestries leading to the Riox. There was no turquoise, causing the Doctor’s suit and her chest piece to stand out. 

The child’s mother laughed, picking her up and looking at the Doctor and Rose happily. 

“I take it you are from the city?” she asked. The Doctor nodded. 

“Travelers, just passing through. I’m the Doctor, this is Rose.” 

“Nice to meet you both,” the woman said. “You look flushed, have you eaten?” 

“Just an apple,” Rose said, realizing they didn’t find this place by accident. The instincts were beginning to work without the warmth of the necklace. It was as if they were inside of her now. 

“Oh! That won’t do, will it?” the woman asked. “We love welcoming visitors, though we don’t get them too often. I used to live in the city myself, but my husband is Satyr, so the woods are his home.” 

Rose noticed, for the first time, the hooves the little girl had on her feet. 

“Come, come, we were just about to sit down with some mead, you are welcome to join us,” the woman said. 

The Doctor smiled, “Thank you.” 

They walked with the woman to her cottage, and when they entered the warmth was a comfort right away. It was a loved home, with pictures and drawings the little girl made up on the wall. The living room, kitchen, and dining area were all one large room, and the woman gestured to their cushions on the floor as she went to get the mead ready in bowls. 

The little girl stared at Rose with wide eyes. 

“Goddess,” she said, smiling at her. Rose laughed. 

“No, I’m not, but thank you. I’m human. What’s your name?” 

“Human?” the woman asked, setting the bowls down in front of them. “We don’t meet very many humans. You weren’t kidding when you said you are travelers.” 

“I’m Angelica,” the little girl said, slurping her mead. Rose smiled. 

“Nice to meet you, Angelica,” she said. 

They chatted for a while, the Doctor fascinated with the village and the habits of Satyrs. The woman, Ida, told them her husband would be back soon, and they passed the time with small talk and enjoying the meal. 

The Satyr, Hinry, returned after an hour. 

The Doctor knew him. 

“Hinry!!” he exclaimed, running to the Satyr and clapping him on the back. “Long time no see!” 

“Who are you?” he asked. 

“Oh, right, sorry! It’s the Doctor, changed my face since the last time I saw you. Hello!” he said. Hinry’s eyes widened and he burst into laughter. 

“Doctor? Can’t be!” he said. “My, it’s good to see you. Ida, this is the man who saved my life from that poisonous snake all those years ago.” 

Rose wasn’t even surprised, she just smiled as the Doctor caught up with his old friend. 

“Oh!” Ida cried, delight lining her face. “You two must be exhausted, do you need a place to stay? You can use our spare room, we insist. I’ve wanted to thank the man who saved my Hinry for years.” she said. 

Rose looked down at the necklace. These instincts were working out well so far. 

Minus the siren. 

They spent the night chatting, the Doctor telling them the story of how Hinry had wandered from his pack the last time the Doctor visited Atlantis, and he had wandered into Gorgon territory. A snake had tried to bite him, but the Doctor helped him escape, decapitating the snake as it slithered back to its Gorgon home. 

“You mean… Medusa?” Rose asked. The Doctor nodded. 

“Weeeell, maybe not Medusa, per say. Could have been her sister or cousin or something, but yes,” he said, winking at Rose. 

“Not a day goes by I haven’t thought of you, Doctor. Thank you,” Hinry said. Angelica was asleep in his arms, and Rose noticed the triple moons were once again shining in the sky. “I think it’s this one’s bedtime,” he said, kissing Ida as he stood up. “Make yourself comfortable, we will pack you some food for your travels in the morning.” 

“Thank you, truly,” Rose said. Ida and Hinry smiled as they walked away, putting Angelica to bed. 

They walked into the spare room, a small cot tucked into the corner. It was small and cozy, and Rose suddenly felt quite tired. 

“I’ll take the floor,” the Doctor said, kissing her. Rose rolled her eyes. 

“We can fit, we just… have to be creative,” she said, smiling. He felt his hearts skip a beat at the suggestion. 

He could wrap himself up in Rose Tyler. That wouldn’t be a problem. 

She took the chest piece off so she was just wearing the burgundy dress, and the Doctor slipped out of his coat, placing it on a chair in the corner. They crawled into the cot, the moonlight spilling onto the floor, Rose tucked carefully on her right side as the Doctor slipped behind her, spooning her. 

“Goodnight, Rose,” he mumbled, kissing her shoulder. 

She felt a pulse in her gut, but she tried to ignore it. They were guests, with a small child sleeping in the next room. 

Besides, the cot was much too flimsy for _that._

But the Doctor’s kisses were driving her crazy, and she let out a moan involuntarily. 

It got his attention. 

“Hi,” he said quietly, his voice husky. 

“We’ll break this cot, Doctor,” she said, biting her lip as desire grew. 

“Oh, Rose…” he said, brushing her hair out her eyes, “Have some faith. I can think of quite a few things I can still do to you without making that happen.” 

She kissed him with fervor at these words, her entire body shaking with need. 

He liked her like this. 

His lips were brushing hers, tongues dancing slowly and longingly. His hands made their way into her hair, his fingers scratching her scalp just a little. She gasped, pulling him closer, and his hand found its way under her dress, squeezing parts of her appreciation as he rubbed her back. 

“Doctor,” she breathed, causing him to smile against her skin, 

He wanted to tease her, to make this irresistible for her, as much as it was for him, and he slipped his hand between her legs slowly, finding her ready and eager for him. He began to show her just much he knew about her anatomy as he kissed her, her hips buckling against his. 

She stopped him, giving him a wolfish grin, as she held his hand down with hers, returning the favor with her mouth. 

The Doctor’s eyes shot to the back of his head. 

She felt _so good._

“Rose -” he panted. 

They tried to stay as quiet as possible, which made everything much more tantalizing, catching moans with kisses and biting lips. 

Rose fell asleep that night as they were completely tangled together, the Doctor forgetting the siren’s call as he felt Rose’s heartbeat against his chest.


	6. The Words Left Unsaid

The next morning, Rose and the Doctor met Ida, Hinry, and Angelica with smiles. There were satchels stacked with food, and Rose wished she had her purse from the TARDIS she used recently in London.

Angelica walked up to them with a small doll - a wolf. 

Rose’s heart stopped for a moment, and she knelt down to her. 

“What’s this?” she asked. Angelica smiled. 

“Wolfie, she’s my good luck charm. I wanted to give her to you. For being so nice.” 

The Doctor’s eyebrow raised in curiosity, the way that always made Rose’s stomach flip. 

“Why a wolf?” he asked her. 

“They protect me,” she simply said. 

This was most definitely _not_ an accident. 

Rose hugged her, taking the small wolf doll and placing it in her case for the bow. The Doctor hugged Ida and Hinry, before moving to say goodbye to Angelica. 

“See you soon,” he said. The little girl grinned. 

They said their goodbyes, Rose thanking them profusely for their hospitality, and then they went on their way. 

The Doctor shrunk the satchels down to fit in his suit with his sonic, assuring Rose it was reversible. 

Simple adjustment of the atoms. 

They kept walking, the morning air crisp and refreshing. Rose was deep in thought, trying to see if she was following instincts or just roaming the hillside with the Doctor. 

He could sense her mind hard at work, and he sat on a tree log under the expanse of green leaves, letting her focus. He observed her as she sat beside him, her eyes closed as she tried to trust what her instincts were telling her. He found himself gazing adoringly at her, the sunshine reflecting off of her hair; her skin ethereal in contrast to the burgundy and turquoise of her armor. 

He almost said it. 

Almost. 

He wasn’t sure what was stopping him at this point. He had shown her what she meant to him, and the logical part of him knew that he should tell her while he had the chance. 

Especially after relieving his nightmare of losing her yesterday. 

But that was the problem, wasn't it? He still feared losing her. 

_You can spend the rest of your life with me. But I can’t spend mine with you._

_That’s the curse of the Time Lords._

He rubbed his eyes with his hands, sighing. 

A bloody fucking coward he was. 

Rose opened her eyes and bit her lip. He smiled at her, ignoring the lecture his brain was giving him as he took her in. 

“I think…. we need to go this way,” she said, standing up and walking through the trees to higher ground. 

He followed, and they both observed the vibrant green hues of the trees, the sound of mockingbirds and animals as they ran through the forest, and the tranquility they felt as they ventured further into the forest. 

The city of Atlantis felt so far away. 

“Doctor,” Rose began. They had been walking in silence for close to twenty minutes, happily taking it all in. “Wanna play a game?” 

He smiled at her. “Sure.” 

“10 questions,” she said. “5 each. We have to answer honestly.” 

He felt his hearts quicken for a moment at the idea she might ask him about certain words he wasn’t ready to say. 

_Oh she knows…_

“You first,” he said carefully. She smiled. 

“First time you thought about kissing me?” she said. 

“When I asked you to run,” he said. She smiled. “First time you thought about kissing me?” 

“When you told me your name,” she said. 

“Same night,” the Doctor mused, grinning. 

“Same night,” she said, smiling with him. "When were you first in Atlantis?" 

"Long time ago, stopped in just to see what it was. Ended up helping Poseidon find his son who ran away and just kept coming back for a while," he said. "This is the first time since..." 

Roes looked at him. "Since what, Doctor?" 

"Since the war," he said slowly. She nodded. He seemed to be willing to open up a little, and he looked at her, giving her a gentle nudge with his shoulder. "My turn?" 

She nodded. 

"First time you knew you wanted to stay with me?" he asked, his face breaking into a smile. 

"You know that one, Doctor," she hummed. He laughed. "Same night as the first time I wanted to kiss you. When you told me it 'travels in time,'" 

She grabbed his hand, and stopped walking. "You know that the flashy box and time and space and everything weren't why I came, right? It was you, Doctor. Just you." 

"Come here," he whispered, and latched his lips to hers, kissing her tenderly and hugging her to him. "Thank you." 

She smiled at him, and decided now was as good as time as any to ask this question, one that had bene weighing on her for years. “Were you…. ever married? You know, before, I mean. I’m sorry, if that’s too much, you don’t have to answer -“ 

“Yes,” he said, surprising himself that he told her the truth. She looked at him with kindness in her eyes, laced with a bit of sadness. 

“And you lost her?” She whispered. 

The words hit him like a Dalek’s laser. 

He felt breathless and his jaw clenched so hard he began to grind his teeth. 

He knew, he _knew,_ that there was no way she was in his mind. No way that she knew what he was thinking about half an hour ago on that log. And yet, Rose Tyler, his impossible human, just put the bookends of his past together in perfect harmony, and for the first time he could see clearly. 

He had been talking and agonizing over the fear of losing her, but he never put the pieces together; how the loss of Rose made him feel like he did when he lost Gallifrey. When he lost his wife. His children. His family. He was so numb at the time, he hadn’t realized it. His brain had protected him from it. And since getting her back, he had spent the entire time just trying to hold on. His hesitation was more than just cowardice. More than fear. 

It was self-preservation. 

He suddenly felt ill, his head spinning with dread and anger at himself. 

All of this, of course, was hitting him all at once, and it was overwhelming. His face had gone cold and stone-like, and Rose immediately regretted saying anything. She took a step toward him, but his eyes were unfocused as he tried to process her question. 

He didn’t _lose_ his wife. 

He executed her. 

He collapsed now, another wave of realization hitting him with daggers and intense pain. 

Another reason he couldn’t tell Rose how he felt.

He began to cry. Something Rose had only seen once, when he found her in that parallel world. She was frozen in shock at the sight. His face was tucked between his knees, the piercing sounds of his whimpers echoing into the sky and spooking the hummingbirds they had delighted in watching moments before. Rose felt her own heart break. 

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry -” she said, finally remembering how to walk and moving to him, kneeling down. Her hands were shaking as she went to hug him, but he jumped back at her touch. 

Her face when he did this brought him back. She was _scared._ Not of him, but of what she thought she caused. 

“Rose,” he whispered, his breath still uneven and tears still falling. “I… you didn’t… this isn’t your fault. I'm sorry.” 

He rubbed his face in his hands again, trying to pull himself together. 

She grabbed his hand. 

He pulled it back. 

“Doctor,” she pleaded. 

He had lived in fear of losing Rose more than he cared to admit, but he never imagined this. Never imagined he would have to tell her this part of himself and he knew, as he locked his chocolates with her hazel galaxies, that the moment he told her what he did, she would leave. 

And he wouldn’t blame her. 

He would continue his journey in the stars alone. 

He would lose her. 

It would be his fault. 

It’s what he deserved. 

His voice sounded and felt very far away as Rose looked at him. “She was on Gallifrey. So were our kids. And I had to make a decision between my home and the Universe, and I….” 

“Oh,” Rose said, tears spilling over. 

She hugged him. 

He froze. 

“Rose, do you know what I’m trying to tell you?” he whispered. “Get off, Rose, I’m sorry.” 

She pulled away, understanding lined in her eyes. She knew he wasn’t being harsh with her, but with himself. 

There was silence between them, and Rose waited for him to continue when he was ready. 

It was several minutes before that happened. 

“I don’t talk about it. I don’t think about it. Her. Them. I… sometimes I have nightmares of the battle, but other than that I turn that part of my history off. Which is nothing short of cowardly and selfish, but…” he broke off, his eyes closing in agony. 

Rose felt terrible. 

“I’m so sorry I asked,” she said. Tears were flowing fast on her cheeks. “You’ve been all alone, all this time. I’m so sorry.” 

He looked fixedly at her. She wasn’t getting it. 

“Rose, listen to me. I...killed them.” 

“I know,” she whispered. “But you saved billions. And have tortured yourself over it. You’re a hero. The fact that you lived through that and still work to save the universe is nothing short of incredible.” 

“I’m no hero,” he muttered, echoing his words he said to Aphrodite. “I’m sorry, Rose.” 

His voice was choked and she could see how defeated he felt. “I’ll take you back to Jackie and explain to Aphrodite -” 

“Stop it,” Rose said, grabbing his hand and holding it so tightly he couldn’t pull it back this time. “Listen to me. Doctor, look at me.” 

With a pained expression, he locked his eyes with hers for one of the last times. 

“I am not going to stand here and tell you that I understand. I can’t even imagine, but one thing I do know, is that I wouldn’t be here without you. This planet wouldn’t be here. Earth. New Earth. The entire galaxy, every solar system, every living atom, every inanimate object, every animal and insect and plant and star and everything that exists, would not be here now if it wasn’t for what you did that day. I’ve picked up on enough of what happened in that war, and I’ve met those bloody Daleks enough to know they would have destroyed it all. You did what you had to do, and I know you will probably never forgive yourself, but I’m sure your family forgives you. I know I would.” 

Those words shattered him. He hugged her, so tightly it was hard for her to breathe, but she let him do what he needed to. 

She pressed against his suit, her hands running along the lapels, where the familiar connection to the universe and Time coursed through him. An suddenly, Aphrodite’s words came to his mind. 

_Listen to your hearts, Doctor. They will guide you._

_The robes….not quite as handy as that blue box of yours, but should be able to help you get out of a tricky situation._

He gasped inwardly. When she first said those words to him, he assumed he would be able to use the robes to call the TARDIS or make a hasty escape from monsters or danger. But as Rose's hand rubbed against Time itself, as he felt her love pour out of her into his embrace, as he took in the fact that she didn't blame him, and even forgave him for his past, he realized what Aphrodite really meant. The tricky situation was that of being at war with your head, your hearts, and your past. Of telling the one you love how you feel when you can't find the words. 

The gift of Time in this suit, given to him by the Goddess of Love herself, was not about time travel. But about knowing when the time was right. 

“I love you,” he said in her ear. 

The words stopped his hearts. 

He felt dizzy, and so incredibly vulnerable. She smiled against his chest. 

“I love you, too. My Doctor.” 

There it was. The thing he had feared for so long, out in the open. 

He pulled back and looked at her, and captured her lips slowly in a kiss. 

It didn’t feel like any of their previous kisses. This was a kiss of sorrow, and hopelessness, mixed with adoration and understanding. And shock. The Doctor was absolutely, inconsequentially shocked at the words Rose said and at the fact that after all of that torment and pain he had felt, that he told her the words he was so scared to say. 

As he kissed her, though, he began to remember. 

Rose was his beacon of light. She challenged him when he needed it, supported him when she could, was more than just smart, and compassionate, and beautiful. She was brave. 

And he suddenly felt stupid that he ever thought she would have reacted in any other way. 

_I made my decision a long time ago and I’m never gonna leave you._

She always came back when he tried to send her away. To protect her. 

She didn’t need protecting. 

She was the Wolf. 

The kiss was growing now, Rose was thinking similar things about who this man was here in her arms, and how worthy of love she knew he was. She poured every thought she had ever had about him into the kiss, her hands pressed against his chest, one on top of each of his hearts. 

He was suddenly not so afraid of losing her. 

He began to smile, and Rose felt his body relax, causing her to deepen the kiss against the feel his heartbeats. And he couldn’t say it enough. 

“I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you - “ 

He was saying it quickly, in between kisses, showering her in affection. 

Her entire body was warm, and she couldn’t believe any of this was happening. 

“I love you, too,” she kept repeating. 

She was about to return to his lips, when her instincts kicked in. 

She broke, very reluctantly, and looked at the necklace. The image of the Wolf was back, and she knew exactly where to go. 

“Run?” she said, the happiest she had felt in a while. 

“Wherever you are going, I’m going,” he said, grabbing her hand and following her. 

They were running to the belly of the beast.


	7. New Friends or New Enemies

_I love you._

Those words kept swimming in his mind as he walked hand and hand with Rose, up the long winding path of the hillside. He felt emotionally drained, the surge of panic, realizations, and happiness that he bounced between the past hour a mirage in his mind. 

He didn’t regret telling her. In fact, once he had, he felt as if he could finally breathe. He wanted to tell her more. The gift of Time was on his side once again, if only for a moment, living in his hearts and the suit on his back. 

He had told her his darkest secret. The bit of his past that she had known pieces of, and now had the whole puzzle. 

She stayed. 

More than that, she didn’t judge him. She didn’t look at him any differently. 

She said she would have forgiven him, had he done the same thing to her. 

It was those words that were on the Doctor’s mind now. He truly didn’t deserve her. Rose knew he was still unpacking all of it, and she was walking beside him with small smiles darting his way. She wasn’t pushing him to keep speaking; a fact that was making him fall even more in love with her. 

She would have forgiven him. 

He looked at her now, her turquoise armor shining in the sun, and a familiar gleam in his eye. 

“What is it?” he asked her. 

“This way,” she said, pulling him off to the right. 

He smiled to himself at the picturesque way they had gone from declarations of love right back to helping the universe. It was so them. 

Rose began to run again, dragging him along behind her, until he caught up and laughed with her as they tumbled down the other side of the hill, momentum catching up with them and forcing them to lose their balance. They landed in a small patch of grass, the Doctor on top of Rose, and he leaned down and kissed her. 

“I love you,” he said again. She smiled at him. 

“Quite right too,” she responded, which only made him deepen the kiss. They stayed there for a moment longer, until the Doctor happened to catch a glimpse of what was around them. 

They were in a valley, and he quickly realized the patch of grass they were on extended far beyond their little corner. It was a vast, open field, with wildflowers and small sparkling insects flying around them. The Doctor stood up, and Rose grabbed his hand as she joined him. 

They didn’t speak, but took in the pure blue sky and smell of the sea again. She assumed this side of the hill was closer to the expanse of water that surrounded the City of Atlantis, and as they slowly walked through the field, the grass began to tickle their ankles, the insects began to fly in shapes around them, and it all caused laughter to fly from their mouths. 

There was a statue not too far ahead, a marble woman with a flower in one hand, standing in a welcoming stance. 

The Doctor and Rose approached it, staring at wonderously, when they heard a voice. 

“Remarkable, isn’t it?” 

They turned, and a Riox woman stood before them, but they didn’t recognize her. Even the Doctor wasn’t sure who she was. Her skin was gold and the colors on her cheeks were a deep purple, but Rose noticed a single red line that cut through it. 

She was smiling at them, her hands gently folded in front of her stomach. She glided toward them as she approached, and her hand gently touched the marble before them. 

“You are the Doctor and Rose, I take it,” she said coolly. Her purple eyes met them now, and there was an undercurrent of rage they couldn’t quite understand. “I’m Persephone.” 

The Doctor smiled, his classic, full faced, eager smile. “Ah! Of course you are! Pleasure to meet you.” 

Something about this woman sent a shiver through Rose, but she smiled and played along. “Hello.” 

Persephone looked back at the statue, her hand still trailing alone the cool stone, humming. “I have heard rumors of the two of you,” she said simply. “So has my husband.” 

The Doctor glanced at Rose. It was the same as the myths.” Hades?” he asked slowly. Persephone turned elegantly, and nodded once. Rose felt her heart quicken. 

“What sort of rumors?” Rose asked. Persephone smiled. 

“I was sent by my husband to warn you. Leave Atlantis. Find your blue box and go into the stars. Not everything is as it seems here,” she said, the red line on her cheek pulsing ever so slightly. 

The Doctor’s eyebrows began to make his deducting face as he looked at her. “What’s the problem, then?” he asked. 

“That is not important right now,” Persephone said. “If you knew what was good for you, you would leave.” 

“We’re not going anywhere until you tell us what you’re blubbering on about,” Rose said definitely. Persephone held back a laugh. 

“Humans always think they know what’s best. It’s...infuriating,” she said, her voice darkening on the final word. She moved around the statue again, her hand still grazing it. “You are in the Elysium Fields. It’s my favorite place in the universe, where I spend my free time. Heroes walk among us, only a select few are allowed to spend their time in these fields. And _you two,_ are not welcome.” 

Rose’s eyes narrowed on her. She took a step forward, and placed a hand on the Doctor’s chest to stop him when he tried to pull her back. 

“Let me get this straight,” she said. “I’ve heard of this place. S’posed to a safe haven, a paradise for the heroes you lot deemed important enough for...whatever this is. Now, I may not know a lot, but one thing I do know is that if this is a paradise for heroes, the Doctor should be the first in line.” 

“You’re not dead, _you tiny speck_ ,” Persephone spat. Her voice never raised, and she moved in front of the statue to stare at Rose. “Elysium Fields is for the dead.” 

Rose swallowed. “Oh,” she said. The Doctor stepped forward, staring at the statue behind Persephone. 

“She’s not a speck,” he said simply. His dark eyes met Persephone’s squarely, challenging her. He could sense something was not right. “What is this?” he asked, referencing the statue. 

She smiled. “It was a gift from my dear Hades, a gift to celebrate my reign here in these fields.” 

“You rule a patch of grass?” Rose asked. The Doctor’s lips curled at the edges and he tried not to laugh. 

Oh, how he loved her. 

Persephone’s eyes narrowed and she whisked to Rose in one solid movement. The Doctor pulled her back, leaving his arms securely around her waist as he glared at the Riox woman.

“Tell me, then,” he began, his eyes still dark as he watched her, “if these fields are for the dead, how did we even find them? How did we get in?” 

“That, Doctor, is precisely what I would like to know,” she said harshly. “But it tells me my husband is correct. Not everything is as it seems, and you should leave. It’s not...safe, for you or your little human girl.” 

Rose smiled a little. “It’s Rose, actually.” 

The Doctor held her hand, and his other hand discreetly pulled out his sonic screwdriver, readying it in case his next words meant they had to run. 

“I think we’re gonna stay, actually,” he said, his mouth curved into a smile. “Because I think you’re lying, Persephone. Or rather, leaving some things, conveniently, I might add, out of the equation. I think things aren’t as they seem and there is something Hades doesn’t want us to know about, and he sent his little messenger here to distract us. And I think, no… I know that we are here because something wants us to be here. Rose’s instincts led us exactly where we needed to be. She is not a speck. She is brilliant.” 

His voice was level. He wasn’t quite the Oncoming Storm, but it was brewing. Rose watched as Persephone let out the thinnest of smiles and nodded. 

“As you wish,” she said. She walked back to the statue, her hand on the flower. Rose realized then, that it was a rose. “I did hope it wouldn’t have come to this. Know that after you are dead, you will leave these fields. You are not the kind of heroes we welcome.” 

She broke the flower off of the statue and the ground began to shake. Rose looked around, the Doctor still holding her hand, and they both knew it was safer at the moment to just stay in place. 

Three holes began to appear, a green streak of light piercing the air around them as the shaking intensified, and both the Doctor and Rose were knocked to their feet. 

The Doctor’s eyes widened when he saw the guards of the Underworld appear. There were three of them, dressed in long black robes, pulsing red lines all along their arms and legs. 

The shaking stopped just long enough for Rose and the Doctor to stand, and the guards watched. Persephone was gone, the Doctor noticed, and he looked at Rose. 

Time to use their new toys.


	8. Twist of the Key

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you've stuck with me this far, thank you! The puzzle pieces will start to fall over the next couple of chapters. Definitely a longer story than I intended, but I just couldn't help it.

Rose ducked as the guard to her left threw a ball of fire their way, and the Doctor managed to trip the one behind him. They began to run, Rose trying to remember all the things they had, and the Doctor aimed the sonic at the statue, decimating it. 

The guards stumbled back in disarray, and the Doctor continued to run with Rose along the perimeter of the holes. He was trying to see what was down there and where the lights were coming from, but Rose pulled him down to the ground next to her as a flash of fire came herding toward them. 

“Thanks,” he said. She nodded. 

“What are they?” she asked, grabbing his hand again and continuing their journey along the perimeter. 

“Underworld Guards. They’re empty shells, they don’t think for themselves. When I helped in the Trojan War I met them, and I know they’re being controlled somehow -” he said, picking up a piece of the statue and throwing it at them. 

As she had quite often learned on their travels, anything could become a weapon. 

They both started to throw the stones, hitting two of the three guards as they were powering up their attacks. Rose noted they didn’t have anything to physically hurt them with like a sword, but their energy was powerful. 

They continued to move. Rose bit her lip and jumped over a piece of stone. 

“The lights, yeah? Have something to do with it?” she asked. The Doctor nodded. 

“I think so!” he cried out quickly, ducking again from another fire blast. 

Rose then remembered her bow and arrow, and she quickly loaded it and aimed at one of the guards. It hit its black robes in the shoulder and she heard a muffled cry, and the Doctor grabbed her hand, heading back toward the stones. 

“Well done, Rose Tyler!” he shouted, grabbing the last stone and tossing it toward one of the other guards. It hit it and caused it to stumble back. 

The other aimed a fire blast that Rose didn’t see in time, and it hit her straight in the stomach. 

“ROSE!” the Doctor cried, but the anguish quickly turned to a smile when he realized Hephaestus' belt did its trick. The fire died with a small sound at their feet. 

The guards were growing angrier and angrier by the second, and the one with the arrow in its arm managed to pull it out. 

The Doctor saw the green light from one of the holes flicker, and he grinned. 

“We have to put out the lights!” he said excitedly. He knew he should be concerned, but he found all of this rather exhilarating, and he looked over at Rose, who was also grinning with joy in her eyes. 

He grabbed her hand again and ran to the light that had begun to flicker. As he scanned with his screwdriver, Rose took another shot at the same guard, hitting it in the other shoulder. 

The light flickered as the guard took more damage, and the Doctor let out a yelp of understanding when he was done scanning. 

“Serpent Animation! Ooooh Rose, Rose, Rose!!!” 

He was so excited it made her heart soar, and she smiled as he rummaged in his pocket for the hunting knife. He quickly soniced it, cursing himself for a moment for not having done it sooner. 

He looked up as a fire blast came his way. This one was particularly strong, and it knocked him back. Rose screamed his name and ran to him, helping him up. 

“You okay?” she asked. He grinned. 

“Brilliant!” 

He sustained no damage, thanks for Hephastus’s handiwork, and held up the knife. Rose cocked an eyebrow at him. 

“They’re being controlled by serpents. Only one way to get rid of a snake, Rose, you have to cut off its head,” he said, a little maniacally from the adrenaline he was feeling. 

He tossed the knife directly at the guard Rose had already injured with a very carefully calculated flourish, and it sliced the head clean off. The guard screamed, but it was no longer muffled, and Rose could hear the hissing sound of a snake. The robes fell to the ground as the other two guards stumbled back in shock. 

“What’d you sonic it with, then?” Rose asked quickly, just as the knife landed in the Doctor’s hand. 

“A boomerang! Always wanted to do that! Come on, Rose Tyler! I love you!!” 

She had never seen him like this, she thought, as he ran around the perimeter of the holes. One of the lights had disappeared, and she thought he looked like a little boy on Christmas as he took out the next guard. It was more than just his typical jubilance at a new adventure, there was something simply… lighter about him. 

She smiled. She was pretty sure she knew what it was. 

And she loved him so much for it. 

She aimed an arrow at the final guard as the second light disappeared, and the Doctor quickly threw the knife a final time. The piercing sound of the hissing snake echoed around them, but was nowhere near as deafening as the siren. 

The Doctor grabbed Rose in a hug, spinning her around with her feet off the ground. She laughed, and the final light disappeared. 

He snatched her lips in a kiss, his hands on her face as he practically suffocated her with the force of the embrace. 

She was breathless when he pulled away, his eyes wild with excitement. She started laughing at him. 

“Had some fun, did you?” she asked. He grinned at her. 

“900 years, Rose Tyler, and I’ve never felt so alive. I have you to thank for that,” he said happily. She smiled at him, lacing her fingers in his. 

There were unspoken words in the air again, but this time they didn’t weigh them down. The Doctor’s eyes merely met Rose’s in triumph, and they walked up to the closest guard. 

He pulled the robe back and saw the snake had disappeared. Rose dropped his hand for a moment, checking the others, and saw the same thing had happened. It puzzled the Doctor, who stood up slowly and examined the aftermath of their fight. 

Marble stones lay scattered all around them, and the holes were still open. He approached one and looked down, but it just looked like a small crater. There was nothing inside. 

He frowned, and looked back at Rose. “Instincts?” he asked, hoping she might have an answer. 

She paused and knelt down beside the hole, running her hand through the dirt. 

“Just….normal,” she muttered. She looked back around and bit her lip. “Something has to be here though, yeah? Why else would we have stumbled into a place we technically aren’t allowed into?” 

The Doctor watched her as she began to slowly walk around, trusting her feet to take her in the right direction. She wandered for a few minutes, and eventually sat down on the base where the statue was. 

“Doctor!” she called, looking down. He walked over to her and she pointed at a small circle at the edge of the stone base. “Do we push it?” 

It was clearly a button of some sort, etched into the side of the stone but protruding away from it ever so slightly. There wasn’t a symbol on it, and Rose could see the curiosity in the Doctor’s eyes. 

She pressed. 

The ground began to shake again, a little less violently than before, and the Doctor pulled Rose back as the ground in front of them began to swirl, five different circles covered in grass began to move in opposite directions like a jigsaw puzzle, until eventually all the grass disappeared and the circles ended on top of each other, revealing a chasm thirty feet in diameter. 

They walked to it, the Doctor holding his sonic screwdriver out in front of him, and peered below. 

It was an empty black abyss, but they could hear the faint trickle of water below. 

Rose grabbed his hand. 

“Do you trust me?” she asked carefully. He grinned wildly. 

“More than anything,” he said. 

“Jump.” 

For the second time in two days, Rose and the Doctor were leaping off the edge of a cliff, unsure of what they would find below. There was significantly less laughter this time, and the Doctor would be a fool to deny he feared he was about to lose her to broken bones in this moment as their stomachs fluttered in their chests. 

They landed with a thud moments later, but the ground beneath was soft enough to break the fall as gracefully as possible. Rose, human that she was, still coughed from the impact and the Doctor rolled over to her. 

“You okay?” he asked. She nodded as the coughing began to subside, and very carefully began to stand. 

There was a bioluminescent algae on the walls of whatever hole they had just jumped into, and it was lighting the path forward with. The Doctor realized they had landed on a bed of thick moss, and he began to look around as he held Rose’s hand. He let her take the lead, her instincts in full affect, as they walked down the path. 

They saw the water they had heard ahead of them. A small stream, no larger than a trickle, was moving toward the path, likely runoff water from the river in the city. 

“I think…. this is below Atlantis,” Rose said quietly. 

Instincts. 

It smelled of sea salt and...something metallic. Rose knew the scent, but she couldn’t place it. 

The Doctor, however, knew immediately what the smell was. Blood. He approached the walls slowly, running his hand along the side. They came back clean, but his senses were on high alert as he followed Rose further down the path. 

They heard a giggle and it caused them to stop. Rose reached for his hand which he gladly accepted, and they waited. 

A moment. 

Then another. 

The giggle appeared again. 

“It’s coming from over there,” Rose whispered, pointing to a bed of moss below a rather large pile of algae. 

There was a small, black box on top of the moss. 

It had a diamond on it. 

Rose’s eyes found the Doctor’s and they approached very carefully, Rose reaching for the key they got from the siren. She looked carefully, and saw that it was the same symbol on both. 

“You ready?” she asked. 

A giggle. The box shook. 

The Doctor stared at it, grabbing Rose’s hand. He nodded. 

With a twist of the key, they opened Pandora’s box.


	9. I Create Myself

Rose stood back, her body barely behind the Doctor’s as the giggling in the box continued. The moss filled room they were in was growing colder, and the box flew open with a flourish. A small girl stood before them, no more than 4 feet tall, smiling. Her red hair was curly and pulled back into a high ponytail, and she was wearing a simple yellow dress. 

“Hello!” she said cheerily. Rose looked at the Doctor in surprise, who was staring at the girl with his brows raised in that deductive way Rose loved. “Pitter patter pitter patter!” 

She started to run around the moss, skipping, saying those words over and over. The Doctor gripped Rose’s waist, holding her to him as his eyes followed the skipping girl carefully. She kept talking, throwing bits of moss above her head. 

“Stop it,” Rose finally said, her eyes meeting the young girl’s. She stopped moving, a deer caught in the headlights at Rose’s words. 

“Play with me,” she said, her eyes wide. “No one ever plays with me.” 

The Doctor’s mind thought of Aphrodite’s words their first night. 

I’m sure it’s a game for her… 

The Doctor was watching her very carefully, and Rose was shaking her head. 

“We don’t want to play. We want to talk,” she said. Pandora groaned and started to scream, a high pitched scream a small child might cry out when their sibling steals a toy. It rang in Rose’s ears and she covered the sides of her face as the Doctor clicked his sonic screwdriver on a patch of moss, compressing the atoms until it exploded. 

The commotion silenced Pandora, who looked back at them with wide eyes. “That wasn’t very nice,” she said slowly. 

Rose took a step forward, her instincts kicking in. “I’m Rose, this is the Doctor.” 

The little girl smiled and began to prace again, running around the room. “I”m Pandora!” 

“Pandora, we need to talk to you,” the Doctor said again, releasing Rose’s waist just a little. 

“Play with me,” Pandora said more seriously. The Doctor’s face broke out into a calculated grin. 

He was rather good at games. 

“Okay,” he said, kneeling down and raising an eyebrow as Pandora. “What are we playing?” 

Pandora began to clap, jumping up and down and smiling. “Play a game! Play a game!” 

“She’s mad,” Rose muttered, and the Doctor’s eyes darted between the girl and the box. Pandora noticed, and her smile fell. 

“You want my box,” she said. 

“No, no, we just need something back. Something you took from a friend of ours,” the Doctor said quickly. “I’ll play a game. Winner gets to keep Hermes’ soul, what do you say?” 

“Nooooooo that’s miiiiiiiiine!” Pandora whined. 

Rose’s face was very serious as she watched the exchange between the two. “It wasn’t yours to take, Pandora,” she said kindly, as if talking to a young cousin of her’s back home. “Can I play too? 

“NO,” Pandora screamed. “That’s not fair! Two against one!!” 

Rose looked at the Doctor. She needed to play, Aphrodite’s words were ringing in her ear. 

Pandora is afraid of a Big Bad Wolf. 

Her instincts knew what to do, and she smiled at the Doctor. He stood up, stepping back, so Rose was the one Pandora saw when she stopped her whining. Her small beady eyes were flowing with tears, and Rose just smiled sweetly at her. 

“Can I tell you a secret, Pandora?” she whispered. The little girl nodded, and Rose’s smile brightened. “The Doctor is rubbish at games, he’s much too old. Me? I’m young like you, how about you and I play first?” 

The Doctor shot Rose a rather offended look, even though he knew why she was saying what she said. She chose to ignore the small poke he dug into her shoulder or the playful heat she felt from his eyes on her back, and simply smiled at Pandora. 

The little girl was no longer crying. Her face broke out into a small, tantalizing smile. “Okay.” 

Rose nodded and stood up. “Okay,” she agreed. “What game are we playing?” 

“A riddle first,” Pandora said. “Give me your hand.” 

“Rose -” the Doctor said slowly and quietly, but she ignored him and placed her hand in the girl’s palm. 

She felt a shiver run down her spine and it forced her to close her eyes. Pandora gasped. 

“I changed my mind,” she announced. “I want to play with him.” 

Rose stiffened and looked to the Doctor. “Why?” she asked. 

“I WANT TO PLAY WITH HIM!” Pandora screamed, and Rose simply nodded and moved so the Doctor was in her place instead. She watched carefully as Pandora did the same thing to the Doctor, her hand sending a shockwave down his spine. She smiled. 

“So much sadness,” the little girl said. “Pitter patter pitter patter.” 

“What?” the Doctor asked, the same way he does when he is utterly shocked. It made Rose smile despite the situation. 

“Answer this,” Pandora said. “Your hearts grow weary, your head grows hot. The thing you fear the most, is what will rot.” 

Rose’s eyes narrowed as she looked to the Doctor. He clenched his jaw. “Regenerating. I fear regenerating, sure, I always do, what does that matter?” 

“Why do you fear this body rotting so much, Doctor?” Pandora whispered. 

The Doctor found his eyes locked with Rose, who nodded. “Tell the truth, Doctor,” Rose said. 

“I’M NOT TALKING TO YOU!” Pandora shrieked. 

“HEY!” the Doctor shouted back with equal force, effectively shutting Pandora up. “I will play this silly game of yours but you will not yell at Rose, do you understand?” 

Pandora began to pout. “Pitter patter pitter patter. Answer the question, then.” 

“Because of her,” the Doctor said quietly, his eyes meeting Rose’s. “Rather fond of her.” 

“That doesn’t answer the question, Doctor,” Pandora said with a warning. “Not entirely.” 

“Yes it does. This body….was made to be compatible with her. In every single possible way. I fear losing that,” he said simply. Rose felt her heart skip a beat and she watched, biting her lip as the Doctor gave her a wink. Pandora sighed. 

“Gross,” she huffed. “Next one. Burning, burning, burning, the walls are tumbling down. Burning, burning, burning, your mind is on the ground.” 

“Gallifrey,” the Doctor answered. “I would be careful about the next one, Pandora.” 

She smiled at him, and began to walk around him in a slow circle. “Are you going to tell Rose what you did, Doctor? The destruction you’re responsible for?” 

“He already did,” Rose said firmly. Pandora stopped walking and looked at Rose, stunned. 

“And doesn’t it terrify you?” she asked. Her voice suddenly sounded much older than before, and Rose shook her head. 

“Not at all,” she said seriously. “He’s a hero. He did what else would or could do. The only thing that terrifies me is how long he lived with that burden alone. If he had to do it again; I would hold his hand and help.” 

The Doctor’s jaw clenched and he looked down to the ground. He didn’t deserve her. Pandora looked at Rose suspiciously. For a moment, her eyes grew darker than they were before, and Rose felt a shiver run down her spine. She didn’t break eye contact with her, and Pandora began to shift in her spot, as if she was the one who was uncomfortable. Quickly, she turned back to the Doctor. “Next one.” 

Rose moved, just a little bit, so she could see Pandora’s face as she said her next riddle. 

“One beat, one beat, two beats, two beats. Time moves on and time grows long.” 

The Doctor’s face furrowed for a moment, and his eyes met Rose’s. 

“Another fear, Doctor? One that has made you freeze, perhaps?” Pandora purred. Rose looked at her. The riddles were getting more and more personal, as if she was trying to break the Doctor’s composure. 

She realized that was exactly what her goal was. 

She also realized, looking at her now, a small hesitance in her eyes. As if she wasn’t entirely enjoying this game the way she was letting on. Rose decided to test her. 

“What is this?” she asked. Pandora ignored her, her beady eyes watching the Doctor. 

“Answer the riddle,” she said. The Doctor sighed. 

“Heartbeats,” he said quietly. Pandora smiled. 

“What about heartbeats?” she asked. 

“I…” he began, but broke off and avoided Rose’s eyes. She looked back at Pandora, who had the faintest pained grin on her face. 

Rose knew in that moment that Pandora didn't want to do this. Someone was forcing her to play this game. Her eyes met the Doctor’s, and she saw that look in his eye when he is afraid. And she knew the answer to the riddle.

He will carry on without her. 

Her slipped her hand into his, and squeezed. “Pandora,” Rose began, “are you okay?” Both the Doctor and the girl looked at Rose in confusion, but she continued. “You don’t want to do this, do you?” 

Pandora began to squirm and her eyes narrowed on Rose. “I want him to answer the riddle.” 

“Do it, Doctor. Tell her,” Rose said. Her eyes found his, and he saw a small familiar glimmer in her hazel swirls, telling him she is up to something. He suppressed a smile, eager to see what her instincts are telling her, and knowing full well that the answer to this riddle may still shatter him, Rose won’t let him down. 

“It’s my fear of living without Rose. One beat is her lifespan, but two beats is mine,” he said, squeezing Rose’s hand. 

She knew, of course she did, how much of a factor this fear was playing in his actions over the last few years. She knew and never needed to ask, understanding that he was simply afraid of the pain. She also knew the walls around those fears have been slowly falling away, and she squeezed his hand in return as Pandora’s mouth opened in frustration. 

“You’re cheating!” she exclaimed, her eyes glaring at Rose. “I saw his mind. He hides the truth, he always has, he should be LOSING! HE ISN’T SUPPOSED TO TELL THE TRUTH!” 

She was screaming manically now, running around the moss and jumping in anger. The Doctor, giving Rose a not so subtle look as if to ask ‘is this what you had in mind’, moved out of Pandora’s way as she screamed and continued to throw her temper tantrum. 

“ENOUGH!” Rose shouted, and Pandora began to tremble, collapsing onto a patch of moss with red eyes. “I have a feeling the one not telling the truth here is you. Talk.” 

The Wolf was out to play now, and Pandora was scared. 

“I don’t want to,” she said meekly, her body still trembling in the moss. Rose knelt down in front of her, not touching her, but offering her a small smile. 

“I’m not going to hurt you,” she whispered. “I want to help. We were sent here for Hermes’ soul, and we aren’t leaving without it.” 

Pandora simply shook her head. Rose kept talking, hoping she was grasping at the right straw. “You said you saw his mind. You must’ve seen mine too, and that’s what scared you. I heard you are afraid of a Bad Wolf...That’s why you wanted to play with him, isn’t it?” 

The Doctor moved to sit by Rose, watching Pandora curiously. “I just want to play. No one ever wants to play,” Pandora whispered. Rose nodded. 

“But you don’t like the rules, do you? They aren’t yours?” Rose asked. 

“They used to be,” Pandora muttered quietly, avoiding eye contact with Rose or the Doctor. “Before.” 

“Before what?” the Doctor asked quietly. Pandora sighed. 

Her beady eyes began to widen, small specks of blue peeked through. When she spoke next, her voice was completely different, much older, like a woman trapped inside a child’s body. 

“How are you doing this?” she asked, a terrified shrill in her voice. 

“Doing what?” Rose offered softly. Pandora began to shake her head. 

“Getting me to tell the truth. It’s not possible,” she whispered. She wasn’t screaming, in fact, she seemed a little relieved through all the terror. Rose held out her hand. 

“Do you trust me?” she asked. Pandora stiffened, and against every alarm going off in her head, she touched Rose’s hand. 

She saw a golden flash. One she was warned about, years before, by a certain purple eyed Riox woman, but it didn’t feel the way she was told it would. It was warm and comforting, and she saw Rose standing amidst the glow, her eyes shining. 

_I create myself._

She dropped Rose’s hand with a gasp, her entire body trembling. 

“If I tell you, you can’t tell them. They can’t know I broke the rules,” she whispered. 

“We promise,” the Doctor said. “What’s going on?” 

“My riddles aren’t supposed to be hurtful,” Pandora whispered. “I’m a nymph, we enjoy tricks and games, but we never want to harm. I….” she breaks off, closing her eyes and swallowing hard. “I made a deal with Hades a while back. A hundred years ago. He’ll let me live forever if I used my talents to aid him in his goal. He wants to overtake Poseidon… He wants to rule Atlantis. He’s tired of being in charge of the dead.. I….” 

She sat up straight, letting out a deep breath. “I thought it would be simple, I didn’t know what he meant… what he would make me do. I’ve done some terrible things. Truly, awful things. I can see inside the minds of my victims and use their fears to my advantage. It used to be a game….” 

“Hey, come here,” Rose said, pulling her into a hug. The girl began to sob, and the Doctor frowned. 

“Did he hurt you?” he asked. Pandora shook her head. 

“No, nothing like that. He just… it's part of our deal, that I use my skill to help him learn more about the people of Atlantis, so he can use that knowledge to overtake the planet when the time is right. Hermes was the beginning of the end, but then you two arrived…He told me to fear the Bad Wolf. Persephone told me the Wolf would eat me, but I now see she was the one who is afraid. Because you aren’t evil, Rose, you’re… good. Bad Wolf acts through love, doesn’t it?”

Rose simply looked at the Doctor as Pandora smiled. “Thought so. Hades told me the storm was too strong with you both here and I needed to get you to lie. Lying weakens one's soul, makes it easier to extract…” she said, her eyes closing in guilt. “I’m so sorry.” 

“But we didn’t lie,” the Doctor said calmly, putting the pieces together. “You can’t take our souls, can you?” 

Pandora shook her head. “No, not with the power of love Aphrodite gave you. Not with the love you have in your hearts. Love protects the soul, my job here was supposed to tear down your barriers and trust and take your souls… but you outsmarted me,” she said with a small smile. “Hades told me he knew you, Doctor, and he said that you would never tell one you loved how you felt. But it seems he was wrong.” 

The Doctor realized, then, that Rose asking him about his past had been her instincts doing. Without that declaration of love hours before, Pandora would have won. He grimaced at the thought. His cowardice could have cost Rose her soul… but she squeezed his hand as if she knew what he was thinking and he tried to relax into her touch. 

Rose was rather brilliant.

“We’ll protect you, Pandora, we will. But we need Hermes’ soul back,” she whispered. Pandora groaned. 

“It’s not that simple. Hades he… he will know. I can’t give it to you.” 

“Look at me,” the Doctor said. “What if you didn’t give it to us?” 

“What do you mean?” 

Rose looked at the Doctor as well, wondering where he was going with this. 

“Play a game with Rose. Then try to stop me,” he said. He was grinning, and Pandora looked at Rose. 

“O-okay,” she said. She closed her eyes, and her demeanor shifted from the mature woman back to the tormented child. Rose noticed, suddenly, the smell of blood from before was growing stronger. 

“Pandora, what are you doing?” she asked. “Pandora?” 

The Doctor had moved to the box, trying to use his sonic to break it open. The more he pushed, the stronger the smell became. 

“It’s not me. No no no, the blood is not on my hands” she said. Her voice was shrill again, and she stood up and started bouncing.”Not on my hands...Not on my hands….” She seemed possessed, completely unraveled, and Rose looked at the Doctor. 

“Doctor, stop!” she shouted. It clicked in her head, something deadly must be in that box. 

She feared it had all been a trick. Everything Pandora just said. Aphrodite had called her the darkest part of Atlantis, could it be possible she was using Rose’s compassion as a ploy? She watched as the box swung open and a beam of purple light streamed out of it. Pandora began to laugh, swinging her arms around and jumping. 

“Rose get down!” the Doctor shouted, just as the light moved to the center of the room. 

It swarmed and merged into a creature of some sort, and Pandora jumped onto its back. “PLAY THE GAME, ROSE!” she shouted. 

Rose ran away from the light, back to the entrance of the moss filled room, ducking behind a boulder. The Doctor was trying to reach her, but the light was keeping them separated. Pandora was still giggling, but she hadn’t yet asked a riddle, and Rose was confused. She reached for the necklace and closed her eyes, trying to focus on what her instincts were telling her to do. 

A golden flash crossed her mind. 

_I create myself._


	10. Bad Wolf

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A happy ending is on its way, I promise.

She stood. Pandora was riding the back of what Rose could now see was a minotaur, and the Doctor was still trying to get inside the box to find Hermes’ soul. He was torn between knowing this was the only opportunity they were going to have and protecting Rose, and when he saw her emerge from behind the rock he called her name and moved toward her. 

But he stopped immediately, and felt his stomach flip over. Her eyes were glowing yellow, and her face looked calm and focused, her senses not even acknowledging he was there. Not at first. 

“Rose?” he cried out, and she stopped. 

“Get Hermes, Doctor. Now,” she said softly, and he looked over at Pandora, who had stopped her clapping and her jumping on the back of the large beast that stood in the middle of the moss. 

“The Big Bad Wolf,” Pandora whispered, and Rose moved toward her slowly. Her eyes were still glowing, and as she gazed at Pandora, she felt pain. She could see everything that had happened to her like a broken record. 

Hades was the real monster. 

Rose realized she hadn’t been lying, not when she dropped her playful persona. Her mind was being controlled. Her manic, child-like behavior was merely a side effect of exactly what she had been able to break her out of for a moment - the control Hades has over her. She felt the sadness Pandora felt, heard the angry words Hades had spouted her way, and knew that she desperately wanted them to succeed, to defeat Hades, even though she could never tell them that. 

Rose heard the minotaur growl and kick its back legs, and she turned her attention to it. 

She could see all of time and space. Everything that was, and everything that could be, and as her eyes met the minotaur’s, she knew. It was Hermes’ soul. It had been manipulated, another game...another trick. 

She turned to the Doctor. 

_The minotaur is what we need._

His jaw dropped. 

_R-rose?_

They had never done any sort of telepathy training. He had never even attempted to enter her mind, not even in the most brilliant moments of passion he had shared with her. She should not be able to do this…. 

_DOCTOR!_

Her voice rang in his head, and he groaned. 

Oh. He’s an idiot. 

She isn’t doing this. Bad Wolf is. 

He shook his head, focusing, trying to squish the fear, anger, and confusion he felt, and focused on helping. The sooner this worked, the sooner he could get Rose the hell out of here and back on the TARDIS. 

_Explain it to me._

_Hermes’ soul. It’s the minotaur. We need to somehow free it._

_Any ideas?_

_You’re the thousand year old Time Lord, you tell me._

_No, no, no, no, no, you’re the bloody Time Vortex, you tell me!_

_Fair enough._

She grinned at him. 

_Also, I’m 905._

_Feeling self conscious, now, are we?_

She flashed her tongue in cheek smile again, and even with her golden eyes that caused him so much fear, he felt his knees buckle. Only Rose could have that effect on him. 

The minotaur kicked again. 

_We’re running out of time,_ the Doctor thought. 

_I don’t think it wants to attack us. It would have by now. What about the sonic?_

_Right, yeah, course, let me just flip to the soul sucking setting -_

_You don’t have to be rude, Doctor._

_That’s me. Rude and not ginger. Do you have a bloody plan, then? Because if you don’t - get out of Rose. Give her back to me._

She looked at him, and she saw the flash of anger on his face. His voice in her head was dark, full of warning. He was mortified. Petrified. So utterly broken at the idea that her brain was swimming with the Vortex again, and she realized whatever playful banter they had just had was a defense mechanism. He was scared. He needed her safe. 

_Doctor, I’m right here. It’s me._

He looked at her, his eyebrows low and calculating in that way she had seen so many times. She blinked, and the gold in her eyes disappeared. The Doctor felt like he had been hit by a truck. 

“No,” he said. 

“I’m fine, I promise,” she whispered. The minotaur, seeing her eyes, began to growl again. Pandora began to laugh. 

“But you… you can’t, you -” the Doctor stuttered, and Rose blinked again, the light returning. 

“Doctor, can we talk about this later?” she shouted, grabbing his hand and pulling her with him back behind the boulder. 

_Help me,_ she thought. His mind flashed to Christmas all those years ago, and he squeezed her hand. He had an idea, and he turned so his hands were resting on her shoulders. 

_How strong is the energy compared to before?_ He asked. 

_I… I don’t know. Why?_

_I should’ve told you this, might even earn myself a proper Tyler slap from this, and not the good kind, you know the ones -_

_DOCTOR!_

He grinned cheekily at her. 

_Jack is immortal. You brought him back to life before. Last time you had this energy._

Rose stared at him, completely stunned. 

“ARE WE PLAYING THIS GAME OR NOT?!” Pandora shrieked. 

“Oh my god, fighting the minotaur, that’s the game,” Rose whispered. The Doctor peered up over the boulder and clenched his jaw. “Also, what?!” 

The Doctor grimaced, her tone was hissing and full of anger and he gave her a lopsided smile. 

_Is it romantic if I say I didn’t tell you because I was jealous?_

_You’re an idiot._

_I know._

Rose sighed, but gripped his hand as the minotaur let out a longer growl. 

_What are you thinking?_

_Can you… bring life again, Rose?_

Her eyes met his. The memory came back to her now as she saw it through his mind. He tried to deny the pleasure he felt being able to share himself with her in this way, and instead just tried to project his memory to her so she could see what he meant. He broke it off after a moment, and Rose kissed him. 

It was soft, and her hand cupped his chin as he cradled her head. 

_Wish me luck._

She ran. 

He knew he should stay where he was, that he was utterly useless in this situation. The prophecy or whatever you could call it said Pandora was afraid of a Big Bad Wolf, not a lovesick Time Lord… but he was a lovesick Time Lord, and he had to make sure she was okay. 

Rose approached the minotaur, and raised her hand. 

It ran toward her, growling, and the Doctor felt his world stand still as he watched a burst of light pierce the minotaur from her hand, and it collapsed onto the ground. Pandora shrieked, and ducked between moss as the light radiated the entire room, and Rose collapsed. 

The Doctor’s legs moved faster than his brain and he caught her, holding her to him. 

Pandora was shaking, and holding her head tightly in her hands. 

“Rose, Rose?” the Doctor said, brushing hair out of her eyes. Her heart was beating, and after a moment she gasped, her arms wrapping around the Doctor’s instantly. “Please tell me you’re okay?” 

“Y-eah, ‘m fine, Doctor… I’m fine,” she whispered, holding him closer. He planted a kiss on her shoulder and buried his face in her neck. 

“How’s your head?” he asked. 

“It’s fine. I’m fine,” she assured him again. 

They both opened their mouths to say more when they heard Pandora’s sobs from between the moss. The Doctor helped Rose up and placed his hands on her shoulders, searching her face carefully to make sure she wouldn’t fall down, and she grinned at him. He couldn’t help but grin back. 

They held hands and began to move to Pandora, but something on the ground caught the Doctor’s eye. A small, heart shaped necklace. The minotaur was gone, and the Doctor leaned down to pick it up. It looked very similar to the one Rose was wearing. 

“His soul?” Rose asked. “Pandora, you okay?” she called out, watching the Doctor slip the necklace into his pocket and follow her toward the moss. 

Pandora looked at them, and her entire body was shaking. 

“Please. Just go. While you can,” she said. Rose knelt down in front of her. 

“You don’t need to be scared, Pandora. I saw your heart. I know you aren’t in control of this, it’s not your fault,” she said. Pandora groaned. 

“The blood you smell... Hades...” she whispered. 

“He made you,” Rose said. “We’ll get your soul back, too. I promise. You’ll be free.” 

The Doctor grabbed Rose’s arm and gently tugged. “She’s right, Rose. We should go.” 

Rose sighed and stood. “We’ll see you again, Pandora. In better circumstances.” 

“Go. Go now,” Pandora just said, her body still shaking violently. “GO!” 

Rose couldn’t tear her eyes away as the Doctor grabbed her hand and began to run out of the moss filled room with her. He scanned the hallway with the algae for an exit with his screwdriver, and they made their way around the opposite side of where they entered, and found a break in the wall. He used the lightning setting to shatter the stone and they were surprised to see it was already dark. 

“How’re you feeling?” the Doctor asked. Rose sighed. 

“If I promise I’ll tell you the moment I start to feel any different, will you stop asking?” she said, rolling her eyes at him. He nodded. 

“Rose, this is serious,” he said. 

“I know, but I promise I’m okay. Head doesn’t hurt, I feel normal,” she said. “Promise.” 

“Fine,” he said. “Come on. Let’s go back to Aphrodite.”


	11. A Lost Soul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two more chapters! I already have more stories for these two in mind. 
> 
> Also, I know this whole universe is kinda a far fetched idea, so thank you to everyone who read. :)

The Doctor was angry. 

Not quite a full blown storm, but as they walked up the long steps to the ballroom, he felt a wave of frustration settle in his chest, gripping it as tightly as he gripped Rose’s hand. It was pulsing through him, and Rose could sense that something was off, but she hadn’t said a word to him in an hour. 

She was also a little angry. 

She wasn’t even sure _what_ she was angry about. Everything, maybe. The fact that Hades was causing so much pain and destruction to the innocent souls of this planet, the fact that the Doctor was clearly upset over something. The fact that she was exhausted, and quite hungry, all bleeding together, leaving her in a rather foul mood. 

She just wished he would talk to her. 

It was probably that. 

He’d been sulking since the moment they found their way out of that moss filled room. At first, she had thought it was because of Bad Wolf, but he clearly wasn’t mad at her, so she had no idea what was bothering him. 

They entered the ballroom and Poseidon was calling their names, clapping and greeting them joyfully. Once he saw the look on the Doctor’s face, though, he stopped. 

“What happened?” he asked. 

“Where’s Aphrodite?” the Doctor asked. His voice was bitter, and Rose shot him a careful look. 

“She’s in her room. Allow me to call her,” Poseidon said. 

“No need,” the Doctor said, and began to walk toward the steps to the living quarters. His hand was still holding Rose’s and she was being pulled behind him. She tried to smile at Poseidon, who looked worried as the Doctor disappeared up the winding staircase. They reached her door, and the Doctor didn’t even knock, he just soniced it open and barged right in, ignoring Rose’s protests as he did so. 

“Doctor! Stop!” she cried. 

Aphrodite was sitting by the window, and she stood immediately at the commotion of her door getting thrown open. 

“You’re back! How are you?” she asked. The Doctor didn’t say anything, he just stood in the doorway, fuming. Rose saw it. The Oncoming Storm. 

He was mad at her. 

“You lied to me,” he said slowly. Aphrodite began to shake her head, her hands clasping in front of her stomach. 

“What about? I assure you, I never meant to,” she said. 

“You said Rose wouldn’t use the Vortex energy. ‘Just the remnants’ you said. Do you remember that?” he asked. His voice was thick, fiery, and Rose grabbed his arm. 

“Doctor, stop, I’m fine,” 

“Not now, Rose,” he snapped, pulling arm away from her. 

Aphrodite sighed. “I had no idea, Doctor. That shouldn’t have happened. All signs pointed - “ 

“I don’t care about your bloody signs!” he shouted. “You lied to me! After everything I have done for you and your family. Centuries of help, and you risk the one thing I love!” 

“So you told her then?” Aphrodite said, a smile rising on her face. The Doctor was livid. 

“How dare you - “ he began, but Rose grabbed his arm again. 

“Doctor! STOP!” she screamed. Aphrodite, to her credit, didn’t seem concerned by the Doctor’s anger. She still stood by the window, her arms still crossed, watching. 

“Did he tell you, dear Rose?” Aphrodite asked. The Doctor groaned. 

“Don’t speak to her,” he barked. 

“Doctor,” Aphrodite began. “Look at Rose.” 

His jaw was clenched tighter than it had been in a while, but he listened to her then. He looked back at Rose, who was pleading with him to stop with her eyes. 

“Please,” she whispered. The Doctor sighed. 

“It shouldn’t have happened,” Aphrodite said calmly. “I am very sorry. Rose, how are you?” 

“I keep telling everyone - I’m _fine,_ ” Rose said exasperated. The Doctor looked back at Aphrodite. 

“Here,” he said, tossing the heart shaped necklace from his pocket on the table. “His soul is in there.” 

Aphrodite ran to it, picking the stone up as the Doctor looked at her, a dark look still plastered on his face. He saw tears begin to fall on her cheeks and he stiffened. “You really didn’t know?” he asked. Aphrodite closed her eyes. 

“No. I would never have asked if I thought it would be that dangerous. I am very sorry, to both of you,” she said. The Doctor rubbed his hands over his face, turning to Rose. 

“We have to go to the TARDIS. I need to run some tests, just to make sure,” he whispered. Rose cupped a hand to his cheek. 

“Not yet,” she said. “Hades.” 

“Rose -” the Doctor said, a small whine in his voice. She sighed. 

“Fine. Two hours of tests and then back here, yeah?”

“Thank you,” he said. 

“Aphrodite?” Rose called, “Listen, we have to go to the TARDIS for a bit. But you should know, Hades is behind all of this. Pandora is being controlled. I saw it all as Bad Wolf. He’s trying to overtake the planet, leave the Underworld…” 

“What?” Aphrodite asked, clutching the necklace to her chest. “No - he wouldn’t, he’s…” 

“I’m sorry,” Rose said. “Persephone is in on it too. She found us, told us ‘not everything is as it seems’ and tried to get us to leave. Pandora...she’s terrified.” 

Aphrodite sighed. “And your heart showed you this?” 

“I...I think? It’s what the instincts led me to,” Rose told her. She nodded. 

“Then it’s true. Go - ease the Doctor’s hearts, I’ll alert the others,” she said. Rose nodded, and the Doctor grabbed her hand. 

The walk back to the TARDIS was quiet, and Rose could tell the Doctor was worried. Very worried. No matter how much she told him otherwise, he was a man of science, and he needed science to tell him what Rose already knew. 

It felt surreal to be back inside of the blue ship. Their journey had only been about five...maybe six? Three? She lost track, but it had been a few days, and she walked with the Doctor to the med bay, hopping up on the table for him like all the other times he’s made her get a check up after a journey that didn’t quite go as expected. 

“What are you looking for?” she asked. 

“Anything out of the ordinary,” he told her, wrapping a tourniquet around her arm and drawing a small sample of blood. She wouldn’t let him use the sonic on her before, but now she leaned back as he scanned her head and heart, but both came back with normal readings. 

“Good, good,” he murmured, and turned his attention to the blood. His hair was a disheveled mess, and his eyebrows were cocked in the ‘deduction face’ that Rose absolutely melted over, especially knowing he was only like this because he was concerned for her. 

Still shouldn’t have yelled at Aphrodite, but still quite adorable, she thought. 

The blood results came back completely normal as well. 100% human. 

“Good,” he said, nodding a little as he turned back to her. He took her temperature, and it was normal too. “Good!” 

He was easing with each reading, becoming more and more like himself as he understood that Rose was right, and she was absolutely fine. He grinned at her, and pulled her into a hug. She hugged him back. 

“I’m sorry. I just had to make sure,” he said. 

“I know,” she said. 

“How did you know you were fine?” he asked. 

“Instincts,” she told him. He sighed. 

“Right.” 

“Plus, I’ve known about this for a while,” she whispered. “Not that I could access the energy again, though I sort of wondered...but...well...the TARDIS and I have been talking for years now. I figured there must be some of the Vortex left in here.” 

She flashed him a grin, her tongue in cheek smile, and tapped her head. He just stared at her. 

“You knew for years and you didn’t tell me?” he asked. He wasn’t mad, not really, but there was an edge in his voice and she sighed. 

“Yeah, I mean, I didn't think it was that big of deal. I've just been able to hear the TARDIS for a couple years, we spend most of the time teasing you -” she said. 

"Wait, me? Why me?" he asked. She giggled. 

"Well, you know, you're quite precious with your hair -" 

"What?!" he exclaimed, in that way he does. She grabbed his hand. 

"Oh, don't worry, it's _really_ good hair," she said softly. 

He just shook his head and swallowed, hard, pulling her back into a hug. 

“Next time just tell me, okay? Just in case…” he began, but he broke off. 

“In case I die?” she asked. “Doctor, I thought we were past that -” 

“We’re never _past_ it, Rose,” he spat, a little harsher than he intended. She sighed. 

“Right. So what are we, then?” she asked. She wasn’t sure why she was getting angry, and she tried to push down the hot tears from her eyes as she felt all the frustration come flooding back. 

“Rose -” he said, closing his eyes. 

“No. Stop. We’re not doing that. Not again, not this time,” she said firmly. “We’re not kissing, or in this case, making love and declaring our feelings, and then pretending we’re just friends. I can’t do it.” 

“That’s not... “ he said. He kicked the wall behind him and she jumped. “Damn it!” 

They sat in silence for a moment, and Rose watched as he leaned against the table by the wall, trying to reign his thoughts in. Words were failing him. Again. 

Bloody coward. 

“I…” he tried to say, and let out a deep breath. “I love you. I… That wasn’t….” 

“I love you, too,” she said, reaching her hand out to him. “It’s just me. You can talk to me.” 

“That’s just it, Rose,” he whispered. “You are everything. It’s intimidating. I’m so scared I’m going to say the wrong thing and you’ll walk out that door for good.” 

“That’s not gonna happen,” she said. 

Both of them thought about it at the same time. Her, in a blue jumper, saying those exact same words to him. 

“I won’t lose you,” he whispered. 

“Then focus on that. Focus on here, right now, Doctor. I know it’s hard, you can see all the timelines of the universe, but just… try. For me.” 

He looked at her. Her hand was outstretched again, and he grabbed it. 

“When I have that energy, Doctor. I see it, too. All of space and time. It’s...exhilarating. And terrifying,” she whispered. “But one thing I’ve figured out is that most of them are just possibilities, yeah? It’s up to us to choose which timeline we go on.” He searched her eyes, his jaw clenched again. 

“That shouldn’t be possible,” he told her. 

Oh. But this was Rose. His impossible human. 

She closed her eyes, and when she looked at him again, they were gold. 

He didn’t let it frighten him this time, but he took it in, his breath growing more shallow the longer he stared. 

_Focus on now, Doctor. With me._

She squeezed his hand, and brought his fingers up to her temples. He was shaking. 

_Rose, I don’t want to overload you._

_You won’t. Instincts. Just trust me._

_Rose._

_Doctor._

It was at that moment that the Doctor realized the Rose Tyler he met in that shop, the eager eyed 19 year old who took his hearts by storm, was gone. She had grown up, become a woman of Time the moment she looked into that Vortex, an had only been getting stronger, in every sense of the word. She wasn’t Time Lady, but she sure as hell acted like it. She was his equal, in more ways than any human had been before. 

He felt his throat tighten, and he placed his hands to her face, closing his eyes with her as they connected. 

Oh, how he missed this. 

So much. 

It was practically inebriating, the way her mind felt with his. It wasn’t a full bond, he was still too nervous about what the Bad Wolf energy would do with a bond, but the fact that she was able to do any of this without any training was nothing short of unbelievable. 

A golden flash shot between them. 

_Rose was young, no more than six, yelling at a group of bullies who were trying to be mean to Mickey. The day she met him. And that image swirled into all the other moments Rose led with compassion over the years, and the face of a wolf etched itself above her as she chose to stay with her mum to help mend a broken heart rather than go to a school dance she had been so looking forward to. The wolf came into focus now, and led them through a door to another memory, and the Doctor realized Rose was the wolf, guiding him and showing him what he needed to see._

He felt his breath hitch. She must have known this all along. 

The Wolf Instincts weren’t born from Bad Wolf. They were merely amplified. They had been inside of her for her entire life. 

_Pandora asked me if Bad Wolf acts through love, Doctor. She was right. Each time I used these instincts over the last few days, I saw it. The thing my heart has always known and I just needed to learn to listen to. Can I show you?_

He nodded, gripping her a little closer as she flashed more memories his way. 

_"Run,"_

Aphrodite’s words rang in his ears. 

_“I told you before I am able to perceive hearts. In yours, there is a power, an acute sense to find ones who are lost. A Wolf sense.”_

He saw more memories. How, way before the Vortex, she knew the Dalek in 2012 yearned for freedom. How she was able to use that same sense inside of her to see the droid in 2056 needed help. How she refused to leave him on Krop Tor. 

How she refused to leave him. 

It was her instincts. Untrained, yet still strong. 

How she was always able to find the good in others, when all he could see was the pain. 

_“Did I mention it travels in time?”_

_He was a lost soul. And she found him._

He dropped his hands and gasped, and Rose was gasping too. Both had tears streaming down their faces, and after a moment she blinked the energy away and took his hand in hers. 

“Do you see now, Doctor?” she whispered. “I can never leave you. The universe...it brought us together. For us to find each other and love each other and never let each other go.” 

He was speechless. 

It took him four minutes to be able to speak. 

“You… you figured all that out?” he whispered. She smiled at him. 

“Yeah, it was weird. It was like… I saw the world clearer each time I listened to my heart. Let the instincts take control. I realized when I looked at Pandora for the last time, when I knew I was fine, that’s when I knew our meeting wasn't by chance. It was designed. Destiny, as cheesy as that sounds.” 

“Destiny?” the Doctor whispered, stepping closer to her. 

“Or you know, whatever, I don’t know the right word for it,” she said softly. 

“I like destiny,” he hummed, and then he kissed her. 

Slow, soft, warm, gentle. 

He deepened the kiss after a moment, and she sighed against his lips as his tongue met hers, and they were both smiling and teasing each other with limbs and moans and mouths and before they knew it, they were both naked and on the infirmary floor, and the Doctor was trailing kisses along her stomach, then up to her chest, her neck, her lips, her nose, and back down to her. 

“Oh, my god,” she groaned as his tongue darted out to taste her, and she buckled against him. 

“Not a god, but thank you,” he said. She swatted at his head. 

“You git,” she teased. He winked at her. 

She exploded as his tongue circled and lapped, and he grinned as she did, his name rolling off of her tongue like a song. 

He moved up to her lips, and she could taste herself on them, which only caused her to moan more and he gently melted into her, savoring every bit of her, crying out in pleasure as he felt her skin against his. 

She wanted to open up the energy, but she was afraid it would be too much, so she just gripped his back and they moved in perfect harmony, hissing and moaning and just allowing each other to live here and now, just as Rose had asked him to. 

She was still human with a lifespan infinitely shorter than his, and it terrified him. But in all of space of time, he thinks now, there had to be at least one timeline where they were together forever. 

Isn’t there? 

“I love you. Rose, my Rose…” 

“Doctor-” 

They swayed, tension building in all the best ways, until they collapsed on top of each other, a sweaty and heaving bundle of limps and sloppy kisses. 

“I don’t know why, Rose…. But I’m…” he tried to say, but he found the words caught in his throat. 

“What, Doctor?” she asked. 

“Thank you for finding me,” he murmured. “All this time I thought I found you. Shows what I know.” 

She smiled at him, and kissed his forehead. 

“Come on, let’s shower and get dressed. We have a planet to save.”


	12. The Underworld

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more after this! Thank you SO much for sticking with me!

When they returned to the ballroom, the Doctor’s anger had completely evaporated, and he immediately apologized to Aphrodite, who just laughed. 

“I can see your heart, Doctor. I knew where the anger was coming from. No need to apologize,” she said. He blushed a little as Rose squeezed his hand. “You are alright, though, dearest Rose?” 

“Oh, she’s brilliant, actually,” the Doctor chimed, smiling at her. He was back in his turquoise suit, and Rose was in her armor as well. Artemis stood up next, pacing the room as Poseidon sat with his hands in his lap, lost in thought. 

“I just can’t believe it,” Artemis said. “That Hades would do this. He should have just talked to us. Told us he was unhappy, we could have tried to arrange something.” 

“That’s power for you,” the Doctor said. “People act without thinking when it comes to power.” 

Poseidon sighed. “We have to go to the Underworld. All of us. Save Hermes and Dion and stop Hades. Somehow.” 

“Pandora, too,” Rose added. Every face except the Doctor's turned to her, shocked. “Oi, I found Hermes’ soul today! Trust me, Pandora is being controlled. She made a deal with Hades.” 

“He can be rather cruel with his deals, Poseidon,” Apollo said. The blue eyed man nodded. 

“Quite,” he grumbled. “Doctor, Rose. Would you be willing to accompany us to the Underworld? We may need those instincts of yours, Rose. And that big Time Lord brain.” 

They nodded, and it all happened rather quickly. Within an hour, through the help of a Riox teleport, Rose and the Doctor were back in Elysium Fields. Poseidon and all the other Riox were standing at his side, Aphrodite in the middle. 

“Well, well, well…” a voice said behind them. Persephone was walking through the large expanse of flowers toward them. She was shaking her head. “I am disappointed to see each and every one of you. And you two,” she said, glaring at the Doctor and Rose, “I told you that you would not be allowed in Elysium again.” 

“We tend to not do what we’re told,” Rose chirped. Persephone grimaced. 

“So that’s it, then?” she asked Poseidon. “It’s come to this?” 

“Is it true, Persephone?” he asked. His blue eyes were darker than usual, and the purple eyes Riox woman shook her head. 

“You have no idea what he is capable of,” she warned. “Come with me.” 

“Sounds like it’s true, then,” Zeus mumbled, and everyone followed Persephone to a space between two trees. With a wave of her hand, a soft veil appeared, and she walked through. Every other Riox did as well, until the only ones left were Aphrodite, the Doctor, and Rose. 

“What is this?” the Doctor asked. 

“The Veil of Death. The gateway to the Underworld. Take these,” she said, handing them a coin. “Riox currency, a gift for the dead. They are buried with one under their tongues. You’ll need to give it to Charon to reach Hades.” 

“Of all the things that are true, I somehow didn’t expect that one,” Rose said. Aphrodite went through, and she gripped the Doctor’s hand as they walked in after her. 

The air was thin. 

It was dusty on the other side of the Veil. The beautiful colors and tall pillars from Atlantis were quickly replaced by embers and collapsing, charred, buildings. The grass became dirt, and the blue sky was orange. Not a pretty orange, either, a musty and dirty orange. Rose looked at the Doctor who was clenching his jaw again, and they moved quickly to catch up to the Riox. 

“Whatever you do, don’t touch the symbols on the ground. They open what’s called The Void. A gateway between the living and dead. They are...not supposed to exist,” Aphrodite said quickly, panic rising in her voice. She had been a source of calamity this entire trip, and it alarmed Rose to hear her so scared. 

“The Void?” the Doctor said. He stopped moving. His eyes met Rose’s. He scanned the symbol on the ground Aphrodite had referred to. He sighed. “Not to the parallel world. But I’m liking this less and less by the second.” 

They approached a river, and Rose looked around at the faces of the dead that surrounded them. 

“They all look so...sad,” she whispered. 

“Death is sad,” one of the Riox in front of her said. May have been Ares, or Apollo… she couldn’t tell. 

The Doctor and Rose watched as each of the Riox handed Charon, a sickly looking man with a beak mask on his face and neck, their coin. His tattered gray robes picked up dirt with each move he made, and he helped each member of their party into the boat, before turning to the Doctor and Rose. 

One of his hands was covered by the robes in front of his chest, and he wouldn’t move it. 

“You two are not dead,” he said. His voice was low and broken. 

“They are with us,” Poseidon said. Charon nodded. 

“Welcome to Hell,” he murmured. 

Rose’s eyes snapped to the Doctor’s again. 

“What did you just say?” she asked. 

The writing on the wall at Krop Tor...

The Void... 

It was a trap. 

“Aphrodite, get out of there,” the Doctor said. “They just want us!” 

“What?” she called. 

Rose realized where she had seen Charon before. 

“Can I take off your mask?” she asked him. 

“Certainly,” he replied. 

An Ood stood before them. 

The Doctor ran to the boat. 

“Get out, all of you, NOW!” he shouted. Using his sonic, he pulled the boat back to the dock, and all the Riox got out quickly, looking at the Doctor and Rose in surprise. 

“What’s wrong?” Aphrodite asked. 

“It’s all a trap. It’s meant for us. There’s too many coincidences.” 

A clapping noise was heard behind them. 

The Doctor and Rose swung around quickly. 

“You two are truly a pain in the arse, you know that?” 

Hades stood before them. His skin was just as gold as the other Riox that stood on all sides of them, but his lines were bright red. So were his eyes, and he looked...skeletal. 

“This should have been so simple. Get all of you to the Underworld, where my power is the most powerful out of all the Riox powers, dispose of our little pest problem,” he looked at the Doctor and Rose, “and I could have taken my rightful place in Atlantis without much of a commotion at all. But you had to go and figure it out, and I had to come to you,” Hades purred. 

“So this isn’t the underworld?” Rose asked. Hades groaned. 

“No, you idiot. This is hell. Hell is the gateway to the Underworld. Now shut up,” he snarked. 

“Okay, hey -” the Doctor barked, “Enough.” 

“Doctor,” Hades said dully. 

“Hello, Hades,” he said. “Long time.” 

“Hades, why are you doing this?” Poseidon asked, stepping forward so he was just a few feet away from the Keeper of the Underworld. 

“Oh, like you don’t know,” he replied. “This place is _awful.”_

“But you can leave, only your soul is tied here,” Aphrodite said. Hades began to bellow. 

“You have no idea, do you? Those of you with your soul still intact? You always feel where your soul is. I can never escape this torture.” 

“We could have come up with a solution, Hades,” Poseidon told him. “But now you’ve gone and corrupted the very sanctity of Atlantis. You’re controlling its citizens. Gathering intel on them, and us. It’s unforgivable.” 

“No,” Hades said coolly. Persephone appeared at his side now, holding a small orb. “The people are unhappy. Did you know that?” 

He held the orb out, and the Doctor and Rose could see what Poseidon saw. What all the Riox saw. A disconnect from their people, an upset with their government. A plot to rebel. A sadness over the city of Atlantis. 

Poseidon groaned. 

“No,” he said. Hades grimaced. 

“It’s very true, brother,” he said. “You have let them down. Right under your nose, and you had no concept of unhappiness, did you?” 

“I told you not everything was as it seemed,” Persephone said. The Doctor looked at Rose. 

“Seems to me like it’s just a lot of miscommunication,” the Doctor said simply. “So now Poseidon, you know what Hades wants, and Hades has shown you why he’s doing what he’s doing. You can fix this. WIth no bloodshed. Your family, we don’t want to fight, do we?” 

Hades looked at Poseidon, and shook his head. 

“No. I don’t want to fight. Not him. Was going to send you two back to that stupid ship of yours, though. Don’t mind fighting you,” Hades sneered. Rose laughed. 

“Oh my god, I thought you wanted to kill us!” she said. Hades smirked. 

“Oh I planned to. If I needed,” he said. The Doctor’s smile fell from his face. “Are you going to get in my way?” 

“Way of what?” the Doctor asked. 

“This is between me, and my brother, Doctor,” Hades said. He turned his attention back to Poseidon, and they began to speak. It was quiet, and no one could hear what they were saying. 

Rose felt uneasy. 

Something was coming. 

A storm. 

She remembered her quill. 

She pressed it, and suddenly there was a burst of rain, a clap of thunder, and she grabbed the Doctor’s hand. 

“What are you doing?” he cried out to her. 

“He’s up to something, I can feel it. We have to get everyone out of here, all the Riox!” she said. 

They ran to their friends, who, it turns out, had been thinking the same thing. Apollo and Demeter left, not much of fighters, but Ares and the others insisted on staying. 

Aphrodite would not return without her family. 

Hades, rather furious the moment the storm appeared, suddenly grabbed Rose. 

“LET HER GO!” the Doctor shouted. 

Rose felt Hades’ arms around her neck as he pulled back from the group. 

“It’s quite simple,” he said. “Poseidon and I trade places.” 

“Hades, it’s irreversible. A Riox soul and body can not be reattached. Even if we did, you would still feel it here,” Poseidon said. “Please let Rose go. Please.” 

“NO!” he said. “My plan was WORKING! IT WAS WORKING! THEN THEY SHOWED UP!” 

His outburst reminded the Doctor of Pandora. 

“Let. Her. Go.” the Doctor said darkly. 

Rose was looking around, trying to figure out how to escape his grasp, but he was quite strong and much taller than she was. The storm from her quill was still going strong, matting everyone’s hair and clothes to their bodies. 

She closed her eyes. The Doctor saw the gold. 

She let out a burst of light and Hades stumbled back. Rose turned, and realized the light had burned his skin. Angry, he shot a light back at her from his staff, hitting her straight in the chest. She flew backward. 

“ROSE!” the Doctor cried, and he ran to her. 

He barely noticed Poseidon pulling out his trident. Ares whipping his sword in front of him. Artemis with her bow. He barely heard the beginning of the battle of familial blood, all he could see was Rose, lying limply on the dirt a few feet away from him. 

He slid to her, probably scraping his knees, but he didn’t feel it. Or care. He scooped her up, and it was everything he feared coming true. 

“Rose?” he whispered, and placed his lips to hers. “Rose!” 

The battle was growing in intensity behind him. 

He touched his fingers to her temple. 

He saw the Underworld, but not as it was. The sky was blue, the river was clear. The residents were happy. 

He saw Atlantis, embracing Poseidon, grateful to have him back. 

It was a timeline. A future timeline. One he couldn’t see because he was too wrapped up in his fears. One Rose was showing him. 

He pulled his hand back and saw her eyes were open, hazel galaxies swimming in chocolate. 

“You’re okay,” he exclaimed, wrapping her in a hug. She nodded and sat up, where the turquoise armor crumbled at her sides. 

“Good thing I had that, yeah?” she asked, laughing. He shook his head and pulled her to him again, this time in a kiss. 

“Doctor, Doctor, I’d love to, but do you think maybe we should -” she began, pointing behind her. 

“What? Oh! Right! Yes, brilliant, Rose Tyler, brilliant,” he said, helping her up and holding her hand as he approached the feuding family. 

“OKAY!” the Doctor shouted, using his sonic to amplify his voice over the chaos. “ENOUGH!” 

Everyone froze, and he saw Hades was wrapped in a chokehold under Ares’ arm. 

“I mean, really, it’s like walking in on a bunch of bloody teenagers,” the Doctor said, returning his sonic to his pocket. “Rose has an idea.” 

“She’s human,” Hades spat. 

“So?” she asked. “Here’s a thought. Redo the Underworld. You’re the Riox, I betcha can do it. Give it blue skies and good food and green grass, and I bet this place won’t seem quite so awful to you, Hades. And Poseidon, work with him. He’s a right arse, but Pandora told us that he’s been working on this for a century, so that means he had one hundred years of grievances he can help all of you with, and make Atlantis a happy place for everyone.” 

The entire group stared at her. 

“That...well, actually -” one Riox began to say. 

“Yeah, that could work -” 

“Easy-” 

“Why did we never think-” 

It was a cacophony of realizations as the Riox pondered her idea. Ultimately, it was Poseidon who scooped her up into a hug. 

“Thank you, Rose Tyler. It’s perfect!” he cried. 

He waved his trident, and slowly they watched as everything around them transformed into exactly what Rose saw in her vision. The Doctor grinned madly at her, and squeezed her hand. 

Swirls of light wrapped itself around them as it took shape in the world, and Hades was suddenly laughing. They watched as his frame buffed out a bit, making him look a little less sickly. The residents waiting to cross with Charon began to cheer. The River Styx was suddenly crystal clear, and Hades ran over to it, to see the souls he watches over blowing him kisses from below the surface. 

The other side of the water, where the main part of the Underworld resided, began to blossom with flowers. 

“Impossible,” he said. He looked at Rose. “I… I am sorry. I was rather insulting, wasn’t I?” 

Rose shrugged. 

“How can i make it up to you?” he asked her. She grinned. 

“You know that answer, Hades,” she said calmly. He nodded, and turned to Charon. 

“Go get Hermes and Dion, Charon,” he said. It was more demanding than Rose would have liked, and she cleared her throat. 

“She wants you to say please,” the Doctor murmured. Hades groaned. 

“Oh, for Riox’s sake… _Please,_ Charon,” he added. 

The Ood nodded and embarked on the boat, and Hades looked back at Rose and the Doctor. 

“Pandora, too. Give her soul back to her, yeah?” Rose asked. Hades stiffened, but looked to Poseidon and Zeus, who both nodded. “She’s not Riox… you can do that, right?” 

“Fine,” he said. 

He closed his eyes, and waved his staff once, and Rose and the Doctor watched as a bright yellow light moved through the sky, out the Veil behind them, on its way back to Pandora. Rose smiled, and the Doctor kissed her forehead. 

“Well done,” he whispered. 

It was at that moment, Charon docked the boat. Aphrodite collapsed to her knees in a sob as Hermes ran to her, a boy following him. Both wrapped their arms around her. 

They watched as Aphrodite handed the stone necklace to Hermes, who wordlessly gave it to Hades before turning back to his wife. 

The man stared at it, and looked back at the family’s reunion, and sighed. 

“Keep it,” he said softly, tossing it back to Hermes. “Can’t reattach it, but you should have it with you. I don’t need it anymore.” 

He waved his staff again, and Dion’s soul traveled to him with ease. Aphrodite cried when she felt it return, and she hugged her family close. Hades looked around, taking in all the changes once more, and shook his head. 

“You’re good, Doctor. You’re very good,” he admitted a little bitterly. The Doctor grinned. 

“Better with two,” he chimed, and looked at Rose. She smiled. 

“You two gonna work it out?” she asked, her eyebrows cocked at Poseidon and Hades. The man with the blue eyes laughed, and pulled his brother into a hug. 

“Absolutely,” he said.


	13. Forever With You - A Promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Hope you like this ending! Next story in this series will be out soon!

They all returned to Atlantis, Hades as well, and took part in another wonderful feast and celebration. Rose was parched and her stomach had been making all kinds of noises for hours, and she ate two plates of food as she laughed with the Doctor and the Riox. 

They got up and learned some ancient Riox dances, swinging their arms and in circles and turning with the group, sparks flying around them in harmony to their movements. 

It was a glorious evening, and after a while, Rose and the Doctor felt a hand on their shoulders. It was Aphrodite, with Hermes and Dion by her side. 

“I can’t possibly thank you enough,” she told them. 

“Me either. You two are the stuff of legend. We got quite lucky when you arrived,” Hermes said. The Doctor couldn’t help but grin at the unintentional words he spoke. 

“Oh, you have no idea,” he said, slipping his hand into Rose’s. 

“You’re the Doctor?” Dion asked, and moved to hug him. “Thank you.” 

He then turned to Rose. “You’re breathtaking,” he said. 

Rose blushed at the young boy. “That’s sweet, thank you.” 

The Doctor gave her a look as if to say he was thinking the same thing. It made Rose weak in the knees. 

“Doctor, may I speak with you for a moment?” Aphrodite asked. He nodded, and Rose moved to sit with Hermes and Dion, talking to them about how they were feeling and doing. 

“Everything okay?” he asked. Aphrodite grinned. 

“More than. I have something in mind, a way to say thank you. I wish I could do so much more, but… if you are interested, I have crafted these for you and dearest Rose. We can do a ceremony to bind your hearts and souls, if you would like.” 

She held out two silver rings, with a glistening turquoise stone resting in the middle. 

The Doctor stared at them, his hearts beating rapidly in his chest. “A marriage ceremony?” he asked softly. Aphrodite smiled. 

“Indeed. But, if you’d rather just take them and hold onto them when you’re ready, you can, of course. Or not take them. Just listen to your hearts, they will guide you,” she told him. 

The Doctor swallowed and sniffed, looking back toward Rose. 

She was laughing at something Dion had said, her head arched back as she smiled, her eyes squinted and her hair glistened against the falling sunset. She was utterly captivating, and he closed his eyes. 

_He was a lost soul. And she found him._

He smiled to himself as he opened his eyes again, looking at her still laughing, this time clapping her hands as she looked over at him. She waved to him. 

He waved back, and couldn’t help but smile widely at her. 

His impossible human. His beacon of light. And, he now knew, practically his equal. 

He would find a way to have forever with her, if he had to fight like hell to get it. 

He turned back to Aphrodite. 

“Let me ask her properly, and...well…” he said, smiling sheepishly. She suppressed a squeal and wrapped him in a hug, slipping the rings into his suit coat. 

He pulled away and let out a breath, nodding once at Aphrodite. 

Rose was stuffing a cupcake into her mouth as he walked up to her, and he took her in, his hearts soaring like an adoring idiot.

“Come with me,” he said, holding his hand out to her. His eyes were soft, and Rose swallowed her bite with a smile, taking his hand happily as they moved away from the party. 

“Where are we going?” she asked. 

“There was something I wanted to show you, Rose. The whole reason we came here at all, but we got sidetracked, so I figured now is as good of time as any,” he told her, squeezing her hand. 

They walked for a while, until they reached a spot by the water, where the triple suns materialized into triple moons. A simple stone bench sat along the ridge of the city, the waterfall splashing down the other side, and Rose smiled when she realized there were rose bushes on either side. 

He led her to the bench and sat, her hand still laced in his, and they looked up at the sky. The moons sat in a perfect triangle above their heads, full and glowing and ethereal, and Rose leaned her head on his shoulder, taking it all in. 

A thousand stars twinkled in the sky. 

“Which way do you wanna go next?” he asked, looking at the stars. She smiled. 

“That way,” she whispered, pointing to the right moon. 

“That way?” he replied. 

“No, wait. That way,” she said, switching to the middle moon. 

“That way?” 

“Yeah, that way,” she said, and leaned up to kiss him. 

His hand cupped the back of her head, and he broke away, pressing his forehead to hers. 

“This is where I sat when I figured out how to get back to you, Rose,” he whispered. “I told you this was my first time back here since the war, but that wasn’t entirely true. I just didn’t tell anyone I was here, only stayed for an hour, came in the middle of the night so I wouldn’t get stopped, and sat. Planted these bushes to keep you close to me, looked up at the stars, and I found it. The rift was right there.” 

He pointed by the left moon, to a bright star that had a dark spot next to it where its twin supernova used to rest. The sun he burned to save Rose. 

She stared at the spot he was pointing to, her mouth open in shock. 

“That’s what I wanted to show you. A few nights ago, after London...when things felt...weird… I wanted to take you here and show you the spot in the universe that led me back to you,” he whispered. 

Rose began to cry, and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he held her close. 

“Doctor -” she said, unsure of how to put her feelings into words. He closed his eyes. 

_You’ve been a right coward. Every time. Not this time, you idiot._

The northern voice in his head rang clear as day, and he pulled away, cupping Rose’s cheeks in his hands. 

“I didn’t expect this, Rose. This trip. I had no idea that we...that this would become…” he stopped, sighing. Words. Use them. Now. Speak. “Rose,” he said. 

Hazel galaxies met chocolate for the thousandth time, and his hearts stopped. 

“I love you. And it’s absolutely mad, completely ridiculous in fact that I can say those words to you after running from them for so long. But… I’m tired of running. You told me our meeting wasn’t by chance. I believe that, more than I thought I possibly could, after everything that happened here. I will do whatever it takes to have forever with you.” 

He used his thumb to wipe the tears that had started to stream down her face, and reached into his pocket, pulling out the thinner of the two bands Aphrodite crafted for them. 

“Oh, my god,” Rose said quickly, her hands jumping to cover her mouth as she shook her head in shock. 

This was not happening. It couldn’t be. He wouldn’t do this. 

Would he? 

“Aphrodite made these. They...will bind our hearts. I could share mine with you. If you want,” he said, his eyes desperate as he looked at her. He wasn’t smiling, and Rose could tell was trying to keep the flutter of his hearts at bay, opting instead for his usual casual demeanor as if he would be completely fine with either answer, and it tugged at her heartstrings. 

“Of course I want to do that,” she whispered, and laughed as his face broke out into the biggest grin she had ever seen him make, pulling her to him with such a force she was suddenly in his lap, her lips on his, tongues swirling like the galaxy above their heads. 

“I love you so much,” she told him and he hummed against her kiss. He said something to her, a language she didn’t know, sounds that felt like a warm blanket, and she found herself captivated at the way his mouth moved. “What was that?” she said, almost so quietly he couldn’t hear. 

“Gallifreyan. It means I love you more,” he told her. 

They kissed again, determination pulsating between them to make this forever timeline the only timeline they could travel down. 

Before the kiss could get too heated, the Doctor pulled back, panting, and smiled. 

“Rose Tyler, wanna get married?” he asked. 

~~~

An hour later, Rose was standing in front of Aphrodite with her hands in the Doctor’s. They were on the veranda by the ballroom, and the Riox had taken it upon themselves to decorate with sparkling lights and candles, soft velvet cushions acting as their seats to the binding ceremony. Hermes and Dion were sitting to their right, and Aphrodite was smiling at them. 

“Before we get started, I have one more surprise,” she said. 

The Doctor and Rose followed her eye line to the front door of the ballroom, where a girl with red hair and a yellow dress came running into view. 

“Pandora!” Rose exclaimed, and the Doctor let go of her hands so she could run to her, wrapping her in a hug. 

“Rose!” she said, hugging her back. “Thank you, oh my...thank you both so much.” 

The Doctor walked over to her as well, smiling at her, and hugged her right after Rose. He noticed her eyes were once again a shining blue, and her voice was that of the mature woman she knew she really was. She gripped their hands. 

“Can I stay and watch?” she asked. The Doctor and Rose both laughed and nodded, and Pandora sat beside Artemis, who patted her shoulder as they all turned back to the couple, who were making their way back to the altar by Aphrodite. 

“All of us know how long the Doctor has been traveling. We first met him six centuries ago, and he had always been a fiercely loyal friend of ours, always coming to our aid when we don’t even ask, a gift from the universe for this small planet of ours,” Aphrodite said, smiling at the Doctor. 

He was already getting emotional. He didn’t plan for _that._

“And now, we get to meet dearest Rose, and I know I could see just how much these two complimented each other at a single glance. Her heart was made for him just as his soul was made for her,” she continued. “I told you, Doctor, that the universe always finds a way to help true love in the end. And I truly believe this is just the beginning of that gift.” 

She held her hands up, and Rose and the Doctor each took one, keeping their other hand clasped around each other. 

Rose was crying, and that was the Doctor’s undoing. He found himself entirely overwhelmed, especially as Aphrodite closed her eyes and used her Riox powers to bind their hearts. A warm feeling wrapped around the center of their chests, and pulled them closer mentally and physically. Aphrodite placed the rings on their hands and told them to place their hand over each other’s hearts, and when they did a swirl of light hugged them close. They both couldn’t close their eyes, compelled to look into each other’s soul, and they felt it. The final part of the binding.

He suddenly was aware of Rose’s presence in a way that reminded him of the stone he used on their journey, and Rose could feel a faint second and then a third heartbeat - the echo of his, thumping beside hers. She touched her chest, where just one physical heart rested, and realized it was just an awareness of his heartbeats that she could feel, and she smiled widely. 

“Rose,” the Doctor whispered, his emotions spilling out of him like the waterfall they sat at earlier. 

“I love you,” she mouthed to him, too choked up to speak actual words. 

“I love you,” he mouthed back. 

Aphrodite released their hands, and the light dissipated. 

He pulled her into a kiss faster than he thought was possible, as the group peering on cheered and clapped and cried. He couldn’t kiss her enough. Again, and again, and again his mouth found hers, and he could feel her joy in his hearts. 

“We’ve gotta tell mum,” she teased, and he groaned, hugging her. 

“One thing at a time, Rose Tyler,” he said, winking at her. She smiled. 

“Doctor?” she whispered, so close to him that her soft voice tingled against his skin amidst all the cheering. “TARDIS. Now. Yeah?” 

He cocked an eyebrow at her, but the desire in her eyes shut him up and he gulped. He nodded. 

“Oh yes. Yep. Please,” he said. 

They hugged their Riox friends, promising that they would return as soon as they could, and thanked Aphrodite again profusely. She ushered them away before Poseidon could drunkenly pull them aside in congratulations, waving widely at them as Hermes held her waist, and Dion held her hand. 

And as they ran to the TARDIS, one thought came to the Doctor’s head, and he kissed her again. 

_It’s what you do with the time you have that matters._

This was a timeline he simply didn't see coming. Potential lined his hearts as they pushed the blue doors open. He would not lose her. Not again, and he was determined to find a way to ensure that nothing, not even lifespans, could tear them apart. 

He wanted forever. 

The adventure was just beginning.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks again everyone! Just in case - Rose is still human at the end of this story and she will be for a while. But, she knows that the universe destined them to be together and gave her the Wolf Instinct as a child which allowed them to find each other in the first place. 
> 
> They can both see a timeline where forever is an option, but they don't know how to make it possible. That means either shortening the Doctor's lifespan to match hers or extended Rose's to match his, and they are now going to work to make that reality come true for them. Forever!


End file.
